TAAG steps-up Porto-Luanda connection

TAAG Angola Airlines E.P. is the sole airliner to perform a direct flight between Porto and the capital city of a Portuguese speaking country in Africa.

The strategy for the near future is to promote air accessibility between the two cities, which is considered a safe bet as Porto is increasingly asserting its role in the international scene and it is "only natural" to maintain the affective dimension between two sister nations. It is worth highlighting the tourism development potential as well.

In 2011, TAAG took on the market opportunity to establish the Porto-Luanda route. And if in the beginning the main drive was the large volume of business travels to Angola, at present it is the role of Porto as a major city of the future that attracts the Republic of Angola.

Porto was elected Best European Destination in 2012, 2014 and 2017 and gained prominence, as a "vibrant, interesting and culturally active city". As such, TAAG has stepped up the bet; there are three weekly flights connecting Porto to Luanda, the Capital City of the Republic of Angola, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Conversely, flights depart from Luanda every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

So, TAAG airline slogan "With TAAG, you go to sleep in Porto and you wake up in Luanda", next to competitive pricing, guarantees the Angolan Airliner a strong presence in Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, when it comes to flying between Porto and the PALOP countries (such as Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique and São Tomé & Principe).

According to airport data, which PressTUR has had access to, TAAG was the major air carrier to have operated more flights between Porto and the African continent by flying Porto-Luanda.

According to Fernando Jorge Santos, TAAG Station Manager, "there are both a symbolic and a strategic dimension" in TAAG's operation in Porto. "As sister nations, Portugal and Angola are deeply connected", and the financial out-turn has been positive for the company. "Last year alone, we carried over 36 thousands passengers from Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, corresponding to a 15% increase in operations".

For 2018, the expectation is to maintain a similar growth rate.

Celebrating 80 years of activity, TAAG, the state-owned national airline of Angola intends to promote Luanda as a Hub for other destinations within the African continent, "by establishing more routes from Luanda to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Maputo and Windhoek", the official stated.