TAP expands operations in Porto to Africa

The route will be operated by Airbus A320neos and will be on a twice-weekly basis (two flights each way). The winter schedule sees flights from Porto on Thursdays and Sundays at 8.50pm with the return flights from Amílcar Cabral Airport on Mondays and Fridays at 1:20 am.

Under the IATA summer schedule, these will be on Wednesdays and Saturdays

(departing) and Thursdays and Sundays (returning). With this new route, TAP now serves seven direct intercontinental routes from Porto (Sal is the seventh), the others being Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, New York, Boston, Luanda and Praia. That makes the total number of direct weekly flights from the north over 130. The fares for the route start at 219 euros (including taxes).

The project is all about boosting mobility, tourism and the economic links between the two countries. It is one of a number of developments as part of TAP's expansion plan in Porto, which also includes services to Terceira and Praia.

As part of the plan, there is also the construction of a new Maintenance and Engineering Hub at Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport. This is due to be completed in 2028 and will be able to house two A321s (or equivalent). The aim is to bring the major fleet inspections in-house, to deliver a significant reduction in operating costs and to create around 200 skilled jobs in the area.