DALLAS — TAP Air Portugal (TP), the national airline of Portugal, has announced a worldwide expansion of its route network for the upcoming summer season in 2024. The airline has had a successful first half of the year in terms of passenger traffic and is optimistic about the increasing demand for international air travel from Portugal.

TAP's most important market, Brazil, will benefit from an additional 11 flight frequencies from Lisbon and Porto. With these additions, TP will become the leading airline connecting passengers from major Brazilian cities to Portugal and other destinations in Europe.

Recife (REC) will have three more weekly flights from Lisbon (LIS), bringing the total to ten, while Rio de Janeiro (GIG) will be served twelve times a week from the Portuguese capital. Other cities such as Sao Paulo (GRU), Brasilia (BSB), and Natal (NAT) will also see an increase in their flight schedules.

While Brazil receives significant attention, the airline has emphasized that the summer additions for 2024 are not limited to the South American country. Flight frequencies will increase in all directions, particularly in North America, Africa, and Europe.

TAP's European Growth Starts in Italy

Rephrased: Despite lacking strategic connections or alliances with operators in Italy, TP has chosen Italy as its primary destination for growth within Europe. The increase in flights is driven solely by a significant surge in demand for air travel.

TAP will now include Rome-Fiumicino Airport (FCO) as another important destination in its network. The airline will add an additional daily flight from Lisbon (LIS) and Porto (OPO) to the Italian capital, resulting in a peak of 35 weekly services or five daily flights. Additionally, the frequency of flights to Florence, known as the capital of the Renaissance, will increase from eight to ten weekly.

Outside of Europe, TP will also enhance its flight offerings to Toronto (YYZ) and San Francisco (SFO) for the Summer 2024 season, with 13 and six weekly flights respectively. Furthermore, flights from Lisbon to Maputo (MPM) in Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony, will increase to four weekly.

Remarkably, TP will accomplish this significant expansion without requiring additional aircraft. The airline has stated that this network development has been planned without outsourcing aircraft and has been made possible through a thorough review and readjustment of the current flight frequencies.

Great H1 2023 Results for TAP

Rephrased: The successful network expansion recently announced by TP has been attributed to the performance achieved in the first half of 2023. TP revealed positive financial results that not only reinforced the airline's triumph over the COVID-19 crisis but also marked a significant turnaround compared to the substantial losses incurred in the previous year.

In just the first six months of this year, TP recorded a net profit of €22.9 million, a remarkable shift from the massive losses of €202.1 million reported in the previous year. It is worth noting that TAP had already been facing challenging economic circumstances before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, making this achievement even more significant.

Luís Rodrigues, the CEO of TAP Air Portugal, emphasized the key priorities of reengaging their workforce, addressing operational issues, and clearing backlogs. These priorities have already yielded positive results and allowed the airline to capitalize on the summer season. The demand for flights remains strong, with substantial bookings for the upcoming quarters, indicating a promising second half of the year, for which TAP is well-prepared.

Featured image: Tony Bordelais/Airways

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