For the first time ever, TAP Air Portugal carried more than a million passengers in February – the 12th consecutive month in which the airline has carried more than one million people. TAP carried 1,042,019 passengers last month – up 150,000, or 16.9%, from February 2017.
TAP also recorded its best-ever February load factor, with 80.2% of available seats occupied by passengers, representing a 1.3% increase on the same period last year.
On long-haul routes, flights to and from North America grew the most – up 25.7% to 52,000 passengers 11,000 more than last February). TAP carried 126,000 passengers on its Brazilian routes – 20,000 (18.6%) more than in February 2017.
The greatest increase in the absolute number of passengers carried was recorded on European routes (excluding Portugal), with 631,000 passengers, up 92,000, or 17.1%, from February 2017.
The greatest relative increase was once more recorded on the routes to and from the Azores and Madeira Autonomous Regions, where the growth was 28.3%, or 16,000 people, to 74,000 passengers carried.
For the first February ever, TAP carried more than 20,000 passengers between Lisbon and Faro, more than 40,000 between Lisbon and Funchal and more than 10,000 between the capital and Ponta Delgada.
During February, TAP carried 54,000 passengers on its ‘Ponte Aerea’ route between Porto and Lisbon, representing a 4% increase on February 2017. The load factor on ‘Ponte Aerea’ flights increased to 74.7%, up 8.5 percentage points on the same month last year.
Last month was also the best February ever for TAP Cargo, which carried 6,400 tonnes of cargo and mail, representing a 15% increase on the volumes recorded during February 2017.
About TAP Air Portugal
TAP is Portugal’s leading airline and a member of the global airline Star Alliance since 2005. Flying since 1945, TAP celebrated its 70th anniversary on March 14, 2015, before completing its privatization process later that year, now with the Atlantic Gateway Group as private shareholders.
As of Summer 2017, TAP’s network comprises 84 destinations in 34 countries worldwide. The airline currently operates around 2,500 weekly flights, with a modern fleet of 63 Airbus aircraft. TAP Express, the airline’s regional arm, operates an additional 17 aircraft.
With TAP’s privatization process, it has restructured its network, launched new fare products and is renewing its medium and long-haul fleet. TAP has 53 Airbus neo aircraft on order and, by 2020, it’s long-haul fleet will either have been replaced with new aircraft or newly reconfigured aircraft. TAP Express now operates a new fleet of 8 ATR 72 and 9 Embraer 190.
TAP is one of Europe’s most awarded airlines. Global Traveler (USA) named TAP as Best Airline in Europe from 2011 to 2016, and the World Travel Awards named TAP as both Europe’s Leading Airline to Africa and Europe’s Leading Airline to South America from 2014 – 2017. Previously TAP was awarded World’s Leading Airline to Africa, in 2011 and 2012, and World’s Leading Airline to South America from 2009 through 2012. TAP’s Inflight Magazine, UP, received the World Travel Award as Europe’s Leading In-flight Magazine for 2015, 2016 and 2017.
