24/03/20
Despite restrictions on airline operations.
TAP, in close coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been able to guarantee the safety and operational conditions for undertaking a series of extra flights to bring home more than one thousand Portuguese citizens and their families who are in Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, S. Tomé and Príncipe and Angola.
Today, 24 March, TAP will operate two return flights to Cape Verde, one to Praia and another to Sal, and one flight to Luanda. Two flights to Bissau and S. Tomé are expected to take place tomorrow, 25 March.
Yesterday, 23 March, TAP performed a last flight to Mozambique before that country’s health and airport restrictions came into force.
These flights are being undertaken in unusual operational circumstances, caused by the various restrictions imposed by governments and authorities, yet overcome by TAP while complying with all legal and regulatory requirements concerning the safety of flights, crews and passengers.
Completion of these flights also entails a commitment and sense of mission from TAP flight crews who have demonstrated their availability to make this front-line mission possible, supported by hundreds of TAP back office employees who are facilitating these extraordinary flights.
Microsite for extra TAP flights
TAP, cooperating with embassies of countries with substantial communities of Portuguese citizens, has created online registration mechanisms in order to find out citizens’ needs and evaluate the possibility of providing extra flights, which will always take place upon authorisation from the respective countries. A link to these countries’ embassies is provided, as well as a microsite, available at flytap.com, for Brazil, Portugal and Mozambique.
Health and airport restrictions
Angola
Entry is prohibited for airline passengers and flight crews arriving from China (People’s Republic), France, Iran, Italy, South Korea, Portugal or Spain. Residents of Angola, Angolan airline crews and Angolan nationals who arrive from or who have been in China (People’s Republic), France, Iran, Italy, South Korea, Portugal or Spain will be placed in quarantine for 14 days.
In order to make this route possible under present circumstances, complying with all regulatory requirements for safety and crew rest times, TAP will fly to Lisbon / Luanda and Luanda / Faro / Lisbon, changing the crew in Faro and ensuring that the crews are not quarantined in Luanda, as directed by Angolan authorities.
An A330-900 aircraft capable of carrying 289 passengers will fly to Luanda.
Cape Verde
The Cape Verde Government has implemented restrictions on flights arriving from Portugal, other European countries with COVID-19 outbreaks, Brazil, USA, Senegal and Nigeria. Flight times will permit TAP to undertake return flights. We will fly an A321 aircraft with 216 seats to Praia, and an A330-900 with 289 seats to Sal.
São Tomé and Príncipe
All foreign citizens are forbidden to enter the country. Nationals and resident foreigners returning to the country will be subject to mandatory home quarantine.
Flight times will permit TAP to undertake return flights. An A321 LR aircraft capable of carrying 178 passengers will fly to São Tomé.
Guinea Bissau
The closure of all borders, including airspace, has been declared. Flight times will permit TAP to undertake return flights to Bissau in an A321.
Mozambique
Although airspace is still open, all visas to and from Mozambique have been cancelled. Mandatory quarantine of all travellers, including flight crews, has been ordered. The TAP flight yesterday took place before these restrictions came into force.
TAP reports that the Airline’s Contact Centre is receiving a high number of calls and regrets the inconvenience that these circumstances may cause for its Clients. TAP is making every effort to help all Clients. For the fastest possible response, TAP asks all Clients with valid TAP flight tickets to manage their booking independently and online at https://myb.flytap.com/.
TAP, in close coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been able to guarantee the safety and operational conditions for undertaking a series of extra flights to bring home more than one thousand Portuguese citizens and their families who are in Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, S. Tomé and Príncipe and Angola.
Today, 24 March, TAP will operate two return flights to Cape Verde, one to Praia and another to Sal, and one flight to Luanda. Two flights to Bissau and S. Tomé are expected to take place tomorrow, 25 March.
Yesterday, 23 March, TAP performed a last flight to Mozambique before that country’s health and airport restrictions came into force.
These flights are being undertaken in unusual operational circumstances, caused by the various restrictions imposed by governments and authorities, yet overcome by TAP while complying with all legal and regulatory requirements concerning the safety of flights, crews and passengers.
Completion of these flights also entails a commitment and sense of mission from TAP flight crews who have demonstrated their availability to make this front-line mission possible, supported by hundreds of TAP back office employees who are facilitating these extraordinary flights.
Microsite for extra TAP flights
TAP, cooperating with embassies of countries with substantial communities of Portuguese citizens, has created online registration mechanisms in order to find out citizens’ needs and evaluate the possibility of providing extra flights, which will always take place upon authorisation from the respective countries. A link to these countries’ embassies is provided, as well as a microsite, available at flytap.com, for Brazil, Portugal and Mozambique.
Health and airport restrictions
Angola
Entry is prohibited for airline passengers and flight crews arriving from China (People’s Republic), France, Iran, Italy, South Korea, Portugal or Spain. Residents of Angola, Angolan airline crews and Angolan nationals who arrive from or who have been in China (People’s Republic), France, Iran, Italy, South Korea, Portugal or Spain will be placed in quarantine for 14 days.
In order to make this route possible under present circumstances, complying with all regulatory requirements for safety and crew rest times, TAP will fly to Lisbon / Luanda and Luanda / Faro / Lisbon, changing the crew in Faro and ensuring that the crews are not quarantined in Luanda, as directed by Angolan authorities.
An A330-900 aircraft capable of carrying 289 passengers will fly to Luanda.
Cape Verde
The Cape Verde Government has implemented restrictions on flights arriving from Portugal, other European countries with COVID-19 outbreaks, Brazil, USA, Senegal and Nigeria. Flight times will permit TAP to undertake return flights. We will fly an A321 aircraft with 216 seats to Praia, and an A330-900 with 289 seats to Sal.
São Tomé and Príncipe
All foreign citizens are forbidden to enter the country. Nationals and resident foreigners returning to the country will be subject to mandatory home quarantine.
Flight times will permit TAP to undertake return flights. An A321 LR aircraft capable of carrying 178 passengers will fly to São Tomé.
Guinea Bissau
The closure of all borders, including airspace, has been declared. Flight times will permit TAP to undertake return flights to Bissau in an A321.
Mozambique
Although airspace is still open, all visas to and from Mozambique have been cancelled. Mandatory quarantine of all travellers, including flight crews, has been ordered. The TAP flight yesterday took place before these restrictions came into force.
TAP reports that the Airline’s Contact Centre is receiving a high number of calls and regrets the inconvenience that these circumstances may cause for its Clients. TAP is making every effort to help all Clients. For the fastest possible response, TAP asks all Clients with valid TAP flight tickets to manage their booking independently and online at https://myb.flytap.com/.
