TAP Portugal
Encyclopedia
TAP Portugal, commonly known as TAP, is the national airline of Portugal
. It has its head office in Building 25 on the grounds of Portela Airport
in Lisbon
, and has been a member of the Star Alliance
since 14 March 2005, the same day on which the company celebrated its 60th anniversary. Its hub in Lisbon is a key European gateway at the crossroads of Africa
, South America
and North America
. TAP's route network comprises 77 destinations in 34 countries worldwide. TAP operates almost 2,000 weekly flights with a fleet of 55 Airbus aircraft
, and 16 further aircraft servicing regional subsidiary carrier Portugalia
.
TAP originally meant Transportes Aéreos Portugueses (Portuguese Air Transportations.) This was dropped in 1979 when the company changed its name to TAP Air Portugal, then dropped again to its current operational name, TAP Portugal.
to Madrid
with a Douglas DC-3
under the name Transportes Aéreos Portugueses (TAP). On 31 December that year, TAP began its Linha Aérea Imperial, a twelve-stop colonial service including Luanda
, Angola
and Lourenço Marques (now Maputo
), Mozambique
.
In 1947, domestic services commenced from Lisbon
to Porto
as well as from São Tomé
to London. Four Douglas DC-4
Skymasters were bought in 1947, remaining in service until 1960. These were used on the routes to Africa and to major European destinations including London. TAP began service to Tangier
and Casablanca
in 1949. In 1953, the airline became a private company.
The one-millionth passenger flew on TAP on 19 June 1964, 18 years after the airline began operations. In 1969, service to New York
via Santa Maria Island
in the Azores
began. Boston
was added to the New York
service the following year. In 1975, TAP was nationalised
, becoming a state-owned corporation (Empresa Pública) and changing its name to TAP Air Portugal in March 1979.
TAP purchased Boeing 747
s during the 1970s, replacing their Boeing 707
s; but they were eventually sold due to lack of demand. They were replaced by Lockheed TriStars and Airbus A310
s on long-haul routes. In 1985 TAP established its charter subsidiary Air Atlantis
. By the late 1990s, TAP had expanded its fleet by selling its older Boeing 727
s and Boeing 737
s, and had replaced them with Airbus
A319, A320 and A321 aircraft. The TriStars were sold to Air Luxor and were replaced by Airbus A340
s giving TAP an Airbus
-only fleet.
In 1989, the service to Newark, New Jersey
was introduced and in 1991, the service to Berlin. Also in 1989, TAP became a publicly-traded company (Sociedade Anónima). In 1993, TAP began flying to Tel Aviv
. In 1994, TAP signed for a code sharing
arrangement with Delta Air Lines
for North Atlantic service. This agreement ended in 2005.
1996 saw the introduction of service to Boston
via Terceira Island
in the Azores, the inauguration of service to Macau
and the launch of TAP's Website
. In 1997, service began to Punta Cana
and Bangkok
. Flights to Bangkok and Macau were discontinued in 1998.
In 2005, TAP Portugal became the 16th member of Star Alliance
. TAP Air Portugal was re-branded as TAP Portugal in February 2005, employing 9,750 staff. TAP also ended its code-sharing agreement with Delta Air Lines
and began a new agreement with United Airlines
, as part of its membership in the Star Alliance
. Under this agreement United's code (UA) is placed on TAP Portugal's transatlantic flights and some African flights, and TAP Portugal's code (TP) is placed on United flights.
In 2006, TAP Portugal signed a deal with Espírito Santo International
for the acquisition of 99.81 per cent of the Portuguese regional airline Portugália
. Furthermore it started a code-sharing agreement with US Airways
on all routes between Portugal and the United States with connecting services out of Newark
and Philadelphia
.
In 2007 TAP Portugal was awarded by NATO as the Best Engine/Aircraft Source of Repair for the NATO AWACS Maintenance Program and has been distinguished with the highest maintenance and overhaul practice awards from Airbus Industries in 1996, 2000, 2003, and 2005, being certified for full aircraft, engine and component maintenance and overhaul by the FAA, EASA, and several other important certification entities and aircraft manufacturers (Airbus, Boeing and Embraer) http://www.flytap.com/USA/en/Company/TAPGroup/TAPMaintenanceAEngineering/. TAP Portugal has complete maintenance and overhaul bases in Portugal (Lisbon) and Brazil (Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre), and has specialized line maintenance stations in three continents: 4 in Portugal, 8 in Brazil, and 1 in Angola http://www.tapme.pt/.
As suggested by the Portuguese government, TAP Portugal is expected to be privatized, http://www.jornaldenegocios.pt/index.php?template=SHOWNEWS&id=336032. It started scheduled flights to Moscow, Warsaw
and Helsinki
, in June 2009.http://www.easier.com/view/Travel/Flights/TAP/article-220792.html
As of 2010 TAP Portugal has introduced new routes to Africa, Marrakesh & Algiers. The launch of these new routes highlights TAP's reinforcement of its growth strategy for Africa, which is the only segment in the network where the airline has continually expanded since 2001, going from 236,000 passengers to 541,000 passengers, an increase of more than 129%. With a 6.4% rise in 2009.
New long range routes have already been announced in 2011, namely Miami in USA and Porto Alegre in Brazil.
In 2010 TAP Portugal was awarded the "World's Best Airline Award" by British Condé Nast Travel magazine, after being rated for its excellence in previous years http://www.staralliance.com/pt/about/airlines/tap-portugal/, and was rated as the "Best Airline to South America" by the World Travel Awards in 2009 and 2010, with nominations for "Europe's Leading Airline" and "Europe's Leading Business Class" in 2007, 2009 and 2010 http://www.worldtravelawards.com/profile-8070-tap-portugal. TAP Portugal has also consistently achieved high ranks and various awards from specialized air travel publications such as Skytrax and Publituris due to the company's excellence in service and performance http://www.staralliance.com/pt/about/airlines/tap-portugal/.
According to the JACDEC Airliner Safety Report released in January 2011, TAP Portugal was rated Western Europe's safest airline and tied for fourth worldwide with three other airlines (Qantas, Air New Zealand, and Finnair). The JADEC report rates TAP Portugal well above any of its competitors in its prime geographic operating areas: Europe, Atlantic Islands, Africa, North America and South America http://noticias.pt.msn.com/Internacional/article.aspx?cp-documentid=155855253.
TAP's subsidiaries are:
TAP Portugal serves 77 destinations in 34 countries across Europe
, Africa
, North America
and South America
.
Some domestic, European
and African
destinations are operated by Portugalia Airlines or PGA Express
.
In 2011, more destinations were added to TAP network, with direct flights from its Lisbon hub to Accra, Athens, Bamako, Bordeaux, Dubrovnik, Düsseldorf, Manchester, Miami, Porto Alegre, São Vicente and Vienna, expanding its presence in Africa and adding its second destination in North America.
Expansion in the intercontinental route network has been strained by the lack of space experienced at Lisbon's Portela International Airport combined with lack of adequate long-haul aircraft and no recent re-capitalisations [the last of which took place nearly 10 years ago by the Portuguese government].
With the Portuguese government, as well as the current TAP CEO Fernando Pinto proposing an urgent privatisation of the airline as soon as the beginning of next year, this could lead to more aircraft being leased or bought to bolster TAP Portugal's profitable long-haul operations and start new routes.
TAP has codeshare agreements with several carriers, * indicates fellow Star Alliance
partners.
in 2008, TAP migrated its reservation and inventory systems to the Altéa system managed by Amadeus
. Prior to the migration to Altéa TAP was using a system derived from Delta Air Lines called Tapmatic and had been in use since 1972.
TAP Cargo also operates Lisbon-Luanda all-cargo non-regular flights, in an Avient Aviation
DC-10F, a Girjet
747-200F, and other leased aircraft.
The aircraft are divided into a two-class cabin - executive (tap|executive) and economy
classes (tap|plus, tap|classic, tap|basic and tap|discount).
On the medium-haul fleet of Airbus A319
, Airbus A320
and Airbus A321
aircraft, both cabins feature leather seats with an in-flight entertainment
(IFE) system of several LCD screens that are extended from the cabin ceiling. The tap|executive class offers better privacy than Economy and a gourmet meal.
On the long-haul fleet of Airbus A330
and Airbus A340
aircraft, the cabin is divided into a two-class layout. The economy class of the Airbus A330 is equipped with individual LCDs with touchscreen and a complete IFE on new aircraft, while the older ones feature an average IFE and less-updated individual screens.
In tap|executive class, seats are capable of turning into lie-flat beds. New Airbus A330 aircraft are also fitted with extra functions.
TAP's inflight magazine is named 'UP' and is available both on board, and as a freely downloadable application for Apple's iPad
.
The TAP Portugal fleet, as of October 2011, consists of the following aircraft (excluding Portugalia's fleet):
The Portugalia fleet, as of October 2011, consists of the following aircraft
Flight 425 was a flight to Madeira Airport from Brussels
via Lisbon
operated by TAP Portugal with a Boeing 727
that crashed on November 19, 1977 at Funchal Airport after the landing on the runway 24. The plane was trying to land in heavy rain and after two unsuccessful attempts the captain decided to try another time. They touched down too late and overran the runway which, at the time, was only 1600 metres long. The plane crashed on the beach; splitting in two pieces and bursting into flames. Of the 164 people aboard, 131 were killed and 33 survived. It's the deadliest aeroplane accident in Portugal.
The crash prompted officials to explore ways of extending the short runway. Because of the height of the runway relative to the beach below, an extension was very difficult and too expensive to perform. A 200m extension was built between 1983 and 1986. Fourteen years later, the runway was extended again. Following the 2000 extension, the runway measured 2781m (9,124 feet) long and was capable of handling wide body commercial jets such as the Boeing 747
or the Airbus A340
.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. It has its head office in Building 25 on the grounds of Portela Airport
Portela Airport
Lisbon Portela Airport, also known as Lisbon Airport , is an international airport located north of Castle of São Jorge in the city of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal...
in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, and has been a member of the Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
since 14 March 2005, the same day on which the company celebrated its 60th anniversary. Its hub in Lisbon is a key European gateway at the crossroads of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. TAP's route network comprises 77 destinations in 34 countries worldwide. TAP operates almost 2,000 weekly flights with a fleet of 55 Airbus aircraft
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
, and 16 further aircraft servicing regional subsidiary carrier Portugalia
Portugália
Portugália is a regional airline with its head office in Lisbon, Portugal, and a subsidiary of TAP Portugal. When it was an independent company its head office was in Building 70 on the grounds of Portela Airport in Lisbon...
.
TAP originally meant Transportes Aéreos Portugueses (Portuguese Air Transportations.) This was dropped in 1979 when the company changed its name to TAP Air Portugal, then dropped again to its current operational name, TAP Portugal.
History
The airline was founded on 14 March 1945 and began commercial services on 19 September 1946, from LisbonLisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
with a Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
under the name Transportes Aéreos Portugueses (TAP). On 31 December that year, TAP began its Linha Aérea Imperial, a twelve-stop colonial service including Luanda
Luanda
Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...
, Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
and Lourenço Marques (now Maputo
Maputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
), Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
.
In 1947, domestic services commenced from Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
to Porto
Porto
Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
as well as from São Tomé
São Tomé
-Transport:São Tomé is served by São Tomé International Airport with regular flights to Europe and other African Countries.-Climate:São Tomé features a tropical wet and dry climate with a relatively lengthy wet season and a short dry season. The wet season runs from October through May while the...
to London. Four Douglas DC-4
Douglas DC-4
The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
Skymasters were bought in 1947, remaining in service until 1960. These were used on the routes to Africa and to major European destinations including London. TAP began service to Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
and Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
in 1949. In 1953, the airline became a private company.
The one-millionth passenger flew on TAP on 19 June 1964, 18 years after the airline began operations. In 1969, service to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
via Santa Maria Island
Santa Maria Island
Santa Maria , Portuguese for Saint Mary, is an island located in the eastern group of the Azores archipelago and the southernmost island in the Azores...
in the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
began. Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
was added to the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
service the following year. In 1975, TAP was nationalised
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
, becoming a state-owned corporation (Empresa Pública) and changing its name to TAP Air Portugal in March 1979.
TAP purchased Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
s during the 1970s, replacing their Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
s; but they were eventually sold due to lack of demand. They were replaced by Lockheed TriStars and Airbus A310
Airbus A310
The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of...
s on long-haul routes. In 1985 TAP established its charter subsidiary Air Atlantis
Air Atlantis
Air Atlantis was a charter airline based in Portugal. It ceased operations on 30 April 1993.-Company details:Air Atlantis was a charter operations wholly owned by TAP-Air Portugal and began operations in May 1985 using a Boeing 707 and a Boeing 737-200 aircraft...
. By the late 1990s, TAP had expanded its fleet by selling its older Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
s and Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
s, and had replaced them with Airbus
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
A319, A320 and A321 aircraft. The TriStars were sold to Air Luxor and were replaced by Airbus A340
Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...
s giving TAP an Airbus
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
-only fleet.
In 1989, the service to Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
was introduced and in 1991, the service to Berlin. Also in 1989, TAP became a publicly-traded company (Sociedade Anónima). In 1993, TAP began flying to Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. In 1994, TAP signed for a code sharing
Code sharing
A codeshare agreement, sometimes simply codeshare, is an aviation business arrangement where two or more airlines share the same flight. A seat can be purchased on one airline but is actually operated by a cooperating airline under a different flight number or code...
arrangement with Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
for North Atlantic service. This agreement ended in 2005.
1996 saw the introduction of service to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
via Terceira Island
Terceira Island
Referred to as the “Ilha Lilás” , Terceira is an island in the Azores archipelago, in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the larger islands of the archipelago, with a population of 56,000 inhabitants in an area of approximately 396.75 km²...
in the Azores, the inauguration of service to Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
and the launch of TAP's Website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
. In 1997, service began to Punta Cana
Punta Cana
Punta Cana is part of the newly created Punta Cana-Bávaro-Veron-Macao municipal district in La Altagracia, the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic. The area is best known for its beaches and balnearios, which face both the Caribbean and Atlantic, and it has been a popular tourist...
and Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
. Flights to Bangkok and Macau were discontinued in 1998.
In 2005, TAP Portugal became the 16th member of Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
. TAP Air Portugal was re-branded as TAP Portugal in February 2005, employing 9,750 staff. TAP also ended its code-sharing agreement with Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
and began a new agreement with United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
, as part of its membership in the Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
. Under this agreement United's code (UA) is placed on TAP Portugal's transatlantic flights and some African flights, and TAP Portugal's code (TP) is placed on United flights.
In 2006, TAP Portugal signed a deal with Espírito Santo International
Banco Espírito Santo
Banco Espírito Santo is a private Portuguese bank, based in Lisbon.The Banco Espírito Santo’s origins began with the lottery, currency exchange and securities business carried out by José Maria do Espírito Santo e Silva between 1869 and 1884...
for the acquisition of 99.81 per cent of the Portuguese regional airline Portugália
Portugália
Portugália is a regional airline with its head office in Lisbon, Portugal, and a subsidiary of TAP Portugal. When it was an independent company its head office was in Building 70 on the grounds of Portela Airport in Lisbon...
. Furthermore it started a code-sharing agreement with US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
on all routes between Portugal and the United States with connecting services out of Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
and Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
.
In 2007 TAP Portugal was awarded by NATO as the Best Engine/Aircraft Source of Repair for the NATO AWACS Maintenance Program and has been distinguished with the highest maintenance and overhaul practice awards from Airbus Industries in 1996, 2000, 2003, and 2005, being certified for full aircraft, engine and component maintenance and overhaul by the FAA, EASA, and several other important certification entities and aircraft manufacturers (Airbus, Boeing and Embraer) http://www.flytap.com/USA/en/Company/TAPGroup/TAPMaintenanceAEngineering/. TAP Portugal has complete maintenance and overhaul bases in Portugal (Lisbon) and Brazil (Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre), and has specialized line maintenance stations in three continents: 4 in Portugal, 8 in Brazil, and 1 in Angola http://www.tapme.pt/.
As suggested by the Portuguese government, TAP Portugal is expected to be privatized, http://www.jornaldenegocios.pt/index.php?template=SHOWNEWS&id=336032. It started scheduled flights to Moscow, Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
and Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, in June 2009.http://www.easier.com/view/Travel/Flights/TAP/article-220792.html
As of 2010 TAP Portugal has introduced new routes to Africa, Marrakesh & Algiers. The launch of these new routes highlights TAP's reinforcement of its growth strategy for Africa, which is the only segment in the network where the airline has continually expanded since 2001, going from 236,000 passengers to 541,000 passengers, an increase of more than 129%. With a 6.4% rise in 2009.
New long range routes have already been announced in 2011, namely Miami in USA and Porto Alegre in Brazil.
In 2010 TAP Portugal was awarded the "World's Best Airline Award" by British Condé Nast Travel magazine, after being rated for its excellence in previous years http://www.staralliance.com/pt/about/airlines/tap-portugal/, and was rated as the "Best Airline to South America" by the World Travel Awards in 2009 and 2010, with nominations for "Europe's Leading Airline" and "Europe's Leading Business Class" in 2007, 2009 and 2010 http://www.worldtravelawards.com/profile-8070-tap-portugal. TAP Portugal has also consistently achieved high ranks and various awards from specialized air travel publications such as Skytrax and Publituris due to the company's excellence in service and performance http://www.staralliance.com/pt/about/airlines/tap-portugal/.
According to the JACDEC Airliner Safety Report released in January 2011, TAP Portugal was rated Western Europe's safest airline and tied for fourth worldwide with three other airlines (Qantas, Air New Zealand, and Finnair). The JADEC report rates TAP Portugal well above any of its competitors in its prime geographic operating areas: Europe, Atlantic Islands, Africa, North America and South America http://noticias.pt.msn.com/Internacional/article.aspx?cp-documentid=155855253.
Subsidiaries
| Portugália Portugália Portugália is a regional airline with its head office in Lisbon, Portugal, and a subsidiary of TAP Portugal. When it was an independent company its head office was in Building 70 on the grounds of Portela Airport in Lisbon... (100%) } PGA Express PGA Express PGA Express is an airline based in Cascais, Portugal. It is a subsidiary of Portugália and operates services to Spain in a franchise agreement with Portugália... Air Macau Air Macau Air Macau Company Limited is the flag carrier airline of and headquartered in Macau. The airline operates services to 12 destinations in Mainland China, as well as regional international services, from its hub at Macau International Airport.-History:... (20%) } Macau Asia Express (10.2%) Groundforce (Handling) (49.9%) TAP Maintenance and Engineering (100%) } VEM Maintenance and Engineering (90%) |
Academia Aeronáutica de Évora (10%) TAP Tours (100%) TAP Serviços (100%) CateringPOR (51%) Lojas Francas de Portugal (51%) Megasis (100%) UCS (100%) |
Destinations
TAP Portugal serves 77 destinations in 34 countries across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
Some domestic, European
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and African
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
destinations are operated by Portugalia Airlines or PGA Express
PGA Express
PGA Express is an airline based in Cascais, Portugal. It is a subsidiary of Portugália and operates services to Spain in a franchise agreement with Portugália...
.
In 2011, more destinations were added to TAP network, with direct flights from its Lisbon hub to Accra, Athens, Bamako, Bordeaux, Dubrovnik, Düsseldorf, Manchester, Miami, Porto Alegre, São Vicente and Vienna, expanding its presence in Africa and adding its second destination in North America.
Expansion in the intercontinental route network has been strained by the lack of space experienced at Lisbon's Portela International Airport combined with lack of adequate long-haul aircraft and no recent re-capitalisations [the last of which took place nearly 10 years ago by the Portuguese government].
With the Portuguese government, as well as the current TAP CEO Fernando Pinto proposing an urgent privatisation of the airline as soon as the beginning of next year, this could lead to more aircraft being leased or bought to bolster TAP Portugal's profitable long-haul operations and start new routes.
Commercial
Codeshare agreementsTAP has codeshare agreements with several carriers, * indicates fellow Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
partners.
|
Brussels Airlines Brussels Airlines is a flag carrier airline headquartered in the b.house on the grounds of Brussels Airport and in Diegem, Machelen, Belgium and a subsidiary of Lufthansa. It is the largest airline based in Belgium, operating to over 65 destinations in 20 European countries as well as long-haul... * Continental Airlines Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc... * Croatia Airlines Croatia Airlines d.d. is the national airline and flag carrier of the Republic of Croatia. Based in Buzin, Zagreb, the airline is a member of Star Alliance and operates domestic and international services. Its main base is Zagreb Airport, with focus cities being Dubrovnik and Split... * EgyptAir EgyptAir is the flag carrier airline of Egypt and a member of Star Alliance. The airline is based at Cairo International Airport, its main hub, operating scheduled passenger and freight services to more than 75 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas... * Etihad Airways Etihad Airways is the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates. Established in July 2003 and based at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Etihad commenced operations in November 2003.... LAM Mozambique Airlines Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique, Ltd., operating as LAMMozambique Airlines , is the flag carrier of Mozambique. Based in Maputo, it operates scheduled services in southern Africa and Europe under the IATA airline code TM and the ICAO airline code LAM, its callsign being MOZAMBIQUE.The carrier is a... LOT Polish Airlines Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A. , trading as LOT Polish Airlines, is the flag carrier of Poland. Based in Warsaw, LOT was established in 1929, making it one of the world's oldest airlines still in operation. Using a fleet of 55 aircraft, LOT operates a complex network to 60 destinations in Europe,... * Lufthansa Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating... * SATA International SATA International is an airline based in Ponta Delgada, in the Azores, Portugal... South African Airways South African Airways is the national flag carrier and largest airline of South Africa, with headquarters in Airways Park on the grounds of OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The airline flies to 36 destinations worldwide from its hub at OR Tambo International... * |
Spanair Spanair is a Spanish airline, with its head office in the Spanair Building in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, near Barcelona. It was, until 2009, a subsidiary of Scandinavian Airlines, which now holds slightly under 20% of the company. Spanair provides a scheduled passenger network within Spain and... * TACV TACV Cabo Verde Airlines is a scheduled and charter, passenger and cargo airline based in Praia, Cape Verde... Turkish Airlines Turkish Airlines is the national flag carrier airline of Turkey, headquartered in the Turkish Airlines General Management Building on the grounds of Atatürk Airport in Yeşilköy, Bakirköy district, Istanbul... * Ukraine International Airlines CJSC Ukraine International Airlines , Aviyakompaniya Mizhnarodni Avialiniyi Ukrayiny) is one of the flag carriers of Ukraine, based in Kiev. It operates scheduled domestic and international passenger and cargo services to cities in western Europe... United Airlines United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental... * US Airways US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country.... * |
Technology
After taking a decision to outsource its Passenger Service SystemPassenger service system
A PSS or Passenger Service Systems, is the name given to a series of critical systems used by airlines. The PSS usually comprises an Airline Reservation System, an Airline Inventory System and a Departure Control System .- Overview :...
in 2008, TAP migrated its reservation and inventory systems to the Altéa system managed by Amadeus
Amadeus IT Group
Amadeus IT Group is a transaction processor for the global travel and tourism industry. The company is structured around two key related areas - its global distribution system and its IT Solutions business area...
. Prior to the migration to Altéa TAP was using a system derived from Delta Air Lines called Tapmatic and had been in use since 1972.
TAP Cargo
TAP Cargo has five all-cargo routes. Besides these routes, TAP Cargo uses all TAP Portugal flights. These are:- London Heathrow AirportLondon Heathrow AirportLondon Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
operated by European Air TransportEuropean Air TransportEuropean Air Transport N.V./S.A. was a cargo airline with its head office in Building 4-5 on the grounds of Brussels Airport and in Zaventem, Belgium...
with a Boeing 757Boeing 757The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration... - Frankfurt AirportFrankfurt AirportFrankfurt Airport may refer to:Airports of Frankfurt, Germany:*Frankfurt Airport , the largest airport in Germany*Frankfurt Egelsbach Airport, a general aviation airport*Frankfurt-Hahn Airport , a converted U.S...
operated by MNG AirlinesMNG AirlinesMNG Airlines is a cargo airline based in Istanbul, Turkey. It operates scheduled and charter services within the Middle East and to the Far East, United States and European destinations. Its main bases are Atatürk International Airport, Istanbul, Antalya Airport and Brussels Airport.- History :The...
with an Airbus A300Airbus A300The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS... - Cologne Bonn AirportCologne Bonn AirportCologne/Bonn Airport is an international airport located in the district of Porz in the city of Cologne, Germany, and is surrounded by the Wahner Heide nature reserve. The airport is centrally located in the Cologne/Bonn Region southeast of Cologne city centre and northeast of Bonn...
operated by MNG AirlinesMNG AirlinesMNG Airlines is a cargo airline based in Istanbul, Turkey. It operates scheduled and charter services within the Middle East and to the Far East, United States and European destinations. Its main bases are Atatürk International Airport, Istanbul, Antalya Airport and Brussels Airport.- History :The...
with an Airbus A300Airbus A300The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS... - Brussels AirportBrussels AirportBrussels Airport is an international airport northeast of Brussels, Belgium. The airport is partially in Zaventem and partially in the Diegem area of Machelen, both located in the Flemish Region of Belgium.Brussels Airport currently consists of 54 contact gates, and a total of 109 gates...
operated by Royal JordanianRoyal JordanianRoyal Jordanian Airlines is the flag carrier of Jordan with its head office in Amman, Jordan, operating scheduled international services over four continents from its main base at Queen Alia International Airport at Amman Jordan. Royal Jordanian is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization...
with an Airbus A310Airbus A310The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of... - Dakar Airport
TAP Cargo also operates Lisbon-Luanda all-cargo non-regular flights, in an Avient Aviation
Avient Aviation
Avient Aviation is an international cargo airline with its head office in Harare, Zimbabwe. The company was established in 1993 and offers scheduled and chartered flights to Africa and now operates scheduled services out of its hubs at Liège Airport in Belgium and at Sharjah International Airport...
DC-10F, a Girjet
Girjet
Girjet was an airline based in Barcelona, Spain. It operated charter services. Its base was Barcelona International Airport.- History :...
747-200F, and other leased aircraft.
On board
Economy class
__FORCETOC__Economy class, also called coach class , steerage, or standard class, is the lowest class of seating in air travel, rail travel, and sometimes ferry or maritime travel....
classes (tap|plus, tap|classic, tap|basic and tap|discount).
On the medium-haul fleet of Airbus A319
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
, Airbus A320
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
and Airbus A321
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
aircraft, both cabins feature leather seats with an in-flight entertainment
In-flight Entertainment
In-flight entertainment refers to the entertainment available to aircraft passengers during a flight. In 1936, the airship Hindenburg offered passengers a piano, lounge, dining room, smoking room, and bar during the 2½ day flight between Europe and America...
(IFE) system of several LCD screens that are extended from the cabin ceiling. The tap|executive class offers better privacy than Economy and a gourmet meal.
On the long-haul fleet of Airbus A330
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
and Airbus A340
Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...
aircraft, the cabin is divided into a two-class layout. The economy class of the Airbus A330 is equipped with individual LCDs with touchscreen and a complete IFE on new aircraft, while the older ones feature an average IFE and less-updated individual screens.
In tap|executive class, seats are capable of turning into lie-flat beds. New Airbus A330 aircraft are also fitted with extra functions.
TAP's inflight magazine is named 'UP' and is available both on board, and as a freely downloadable application for Apple's iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
.
Fleet
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | Y | Total | ||||
| Airbus A319 | 19 | 0 | 60 | 72 | 132 | |
| Airbus A320-200 | 17 | 0 | 42 | 114 | 156 | CS-TNP painted in Star Alliance Star Alliance Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines... livery |
| Airbus A321-200 | 3 | 0 | 42 | 152 | 194 | |
| Airbus A330-200 | 12 | 0 | 24 | 239 | 263 | CS-TOH painted in Star Alliance Star Alliance Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines... livery |
| Airbus A340-300 | 4 | 0 | 36 | 238 | 274 | |
| Airbus A350-800 | 0 | 8 | TBA | Entry in service: 2014 | ||
| Airbus A350-900 | 0 | 4 | TBA | Entry in service: 2014 | ||
| Total | 55 | 12 | ||||
The Portugalia fleet, as of October 2011, consists of the following aircraft
| Aircraft | Total | Passengers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | Y | Total | |||
| Embraer ERJ 145 EP | 8 | 6 | 39 | 45 | |
| Fokker 100 | 6 | 8 | 87 | 95 | |
| Beechcraft 1900D | 2 | 19 | 19 | ||
| Total | 16 | ||||
Incidents and accidents
- TAP Portugal Flight 425TAP Portugal Flight 425TAP Air Portugal Flight 425, tail number CS-TBR, was a Boeing 727 aircraft named Sacadura Cabral en route from Brussels, Belgium, to Madeira airport , Portugal, with an intermediate scheduled stop in Lisbon, Portugal, on November 19, 1977.Shortly before 9:48pm on that Saturday evening, after 13...
(Madeira AirportMadeira Airport-Incidents and accidents:*On 5 March 1973, an Aviaco Sud Caravelle 10R crashed into the sea during approach, losing the aircraft and three crew....
1977), the only accident with fatalities.
Flight 425 was a flight to Madeira Airport from Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
via Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
operated by TAP Portugal with a Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
that crashed on November 19, 1977 at Funchal Airport after the landing on the runway 24. The plane was trying to land in heavy rain and after two unsuccessful attempts the captain decided to try another time. They touched down too late and overran the runway which, at the time, was only 1600 metres long. The plane crashed on the beach; splitting in two pieces and bursting into flames. Of the 164 people aboard, 131 were killed and 33 survived. It's the deadliest aeroplane accident in Portugal.
The crash prompted officials to explore ways of extending the short runway. Because of the height of the runway relative to the beach below, an extension was very difficult and too expensive to perform. A 200m extension was built between 1983 and 1986. Fourteen years later, the runway was extended again. Following the 2000 extension, the runway measured 2781m (9,124 feet) long and was capable of handling wide body commercial jets such as the Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
or the Airbus A340
Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...
.