TAP Deploys Its Airbus A330neos on New Route From Porto to Luanda

The Portuguese flag carrier will utilize some of its newest aircraft on a route to Angola.

On 8 June 2023, TAP Air Portugal announced the launch of direct flights from Porto to Luanda, marking the Star Alliance carrier's second service to the Angolan capital. The airline will connect the two cities twice-weekly using the new Airbus A330neo.

The airline already serves Luanda from Lisbon, having commenced the service in 1957. In that era, such intercontinental flights served to connect Portugal with its distant colony on the west coast of Southern Africa. Now an independent nation with a thriving oil industry, travel and interconnectivity is more alive than ever.

The new flights will operate on Wednesdays and Sundays, departing from Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport at 13:30 and arriving at Luanda's Quatro de Fevereiro Airport at 21:35. The services will depart Angola at 23:20 and arrive back in Porto at 07:45 the following day after a red-eye flight. The new route will continue the carrier's recent expansion of intercontinental operations from Porto.

Additionally, the launch of the Porto-Luanda flight comes on the heels of a period of executive turmoil for the state-owned carrier, with the Portuguese government firing the CEO of the airline back in March amid a financial scandal.

With its spacious interior, relaxing cabin design, and variety of upgrades, the A330neo is the ideal aircraft to cater to all of TAP's needs on this route. Serving as the type's launch customer back in November 2019, TAP is well accustomed to the aircraft and its operations.

With 264 economy class seats and 34 lie-flat seats in Executive Class, the aircraft will be able to service all key demographics on this route. Additionally, in comparison to previous generations of the aircraft, the new A330neo comes with a nearly 20% reduction in fuel burn and carbon emissions and cuts the plane's noise footprint in half.

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Due to the aircraft's increased operating efficiency, the airline will be able to offer extremely competitive prices for this new nonstop itinerary. Roundtrip economy class fares start as low as £549 ($686) with Executive Class seats starting at £2,365 ($2,956).

When it comes to service between Angola and Portugal, there are a variety of different markets that the airline will choose to target. There are unique groups of travelers in both directions that the carrier must cater to in order to achieve a profitable load factor on this flight. As Ricardo Dinis, a route manager at TAP said in a statement:

We have flown to Luanda from Lisbon since 1957 and have seen the potential for greater opportunities in this market, so we know customers will welcome the launch of our new twice-weekly service from Porto.

From Angola to Porto, the key demographic of traveler is Angolan citizens who will seek to visit family and friends in and around Portugal's second-largest city. With a thriving Angolan diaspora in the European nation, this group will likely provide a steady source of passengers for TAP.

In the other direction, there will also be members of the Angolan-Portuguese community aiming to visit their homeland. Additionally, tourism to Angola has risen in recent years, with sites such as the Camela National Park and the Iona National Park becoming especially popular.

However, neither of these groups explains how TAP will consistently fill their 34 Executive Class seats on this route. As previously mentioned, the rapidly expanding oil industry in the nation has led to a rise in business travel. Likely, these premium seats will be filled with the variety of consultants, executives, and energy industry professionals traveling to the African nation.

With two dynamic markets to connect and the perfect aircraft to get the job done, TAP has launched an impressive new service with immense potential.

Alexander (Alex) Mitchell, a 19-year-old Applied Mathematics and Economics student at Brown University, has maintained a lifelong passion for aviation. As a first-generation Latino, his strongest childhood memories often involve the Airbus A330s flying him to his family in Buenos Aires. Mitchell is an aspiring strategy consultant, with experience in market analysis, industry dynamics, and market entry. Throughout the past year, Mitchell has served as a consultant for AT&T, Airbnb, and multiple other firms. After graduation, Mitchell aims to enter the field of strategy consulting with a specialty in commercial aviation.