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DALLAS — Angola flag carrier TAAG Angola Airlines (DT) announced that it would increase its frequency between Luanda, Angola, and Lisbon, Portugal, from daily to twice daily flights between the two cities.
Previously, the airline operated one daily service flight DT650 which departed Luanda Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport (LAD) at 11:30 PM WAT and arrived at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) the next day at 7:00 AM WEST. Now starting March 28, TAAG is adding a second daily nonstop flight. The new daily service, DT652, will depart LAD at 1:15 PM WAT and arrive at 9:45 PM WEST.
Both flights are operated by one of DT's Boeing 777-300ER, which can carry 293 passengers in three cabins: first, business, and economy. With the new flight, travelers flying between Luanda and Lisbon will have three daily flights to choose from as TAP Air Portugal (TP) also operates daily flights using an Airbus A330-900neo.
The route has been one of DT's most lucrative as the airline doubled the number of passengers transported from 2022 to 2023. According to the airline, in January and February 2023, the airline transported 39,306 passengers between the two cities, which is up from 18,798, which is the number of passengers the airline transported during the same period in 2022.
This announcement comes as DT suspends flights between Luanda and two domestic destinations, including Uíge in northwest Angola and Cuíto in central Angola. The airline is also suspending flights to Accra in Ghana. These three routes will be temporarily suspended until June 1st, 2023.
TAAG Angola Airlines
The airline, founded in 1938, has been the flag carrier for Angola and the leading airline in the country. DT has grown its network recently to include 14 domestic and 13 international destinations with a fleet of Boeing 777-300ERs, Boeing 777-200ERs, Boeing 737-700s, and DE HAVILLAND DASH 8-Q400. The airline is also awaiting the delivery of six Airbus A220-300s, which will be delivered between 2023 and 2024.
TAAG is also awaiting the opening of a new US$5bn airport in Luanda, which is set to open in December 2023. Construction on the airport began in 2008 and is designed to handle 10 million international and 5 million domestic travelers. The airport, dubbed the New Luanda International Airport, will have the capacity to handle the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747 and include two runways and three terminals.
The new airport will allow domestic and international flights to operate under the same roof, which is not the case at the existing airport, and will enable DT to create Luanda into a profitable modern hub.
Featured image: TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola D2-TEI Boeing 777-300(ER). Photo: Arturo La Roche/Airways
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