Cape Verde negotiates with Angola Boeing 737 planes for the TACV company

Questioned this afternoon by the opposition in the usual monthly debate in parliament, on the theme "The role of transport in the economy and regional integration", the head of the Government admitted that the resumption of TACV's operation in December, after 21 months without flights due to Covid-19 pandemic, was made with a Boeing 757 under lease.

"It does have performance problems", admitted Ulisses Correia e Silva, when questioned by opposition deputies, justifying the use of that aircraft, which is guaranteeing weekly connections between Praia and Lisbon, as it was the same one that already operated in 2016. and for which there was already a license to operate.

"It will be replaced by a Boeing 737, namely in the partnership we are working with Angola, to guarantee planes with more 'performance'", said Ulisses Correia e Silva.

The head of the Government added that this aircraft is "essentially" intended to serve flights to European countries, given the limited range, and foresees the acquisition of an aircraft in the second half of this year for connections to Boston (United States of America).

According to information from TAAG, the company operates several Boeing 737s with a capacity for 120 passengers, mainly on domestic routes, which it is replacing with six Dash 8-400 turboprops.

During the morning, in the same debate, the Cape Verdean prime minister had already stated that the governments of Cape Verde and Angola are looking for a solution to effect a partnership between TACV and TAAG, the flag airlines of their respective countries.

"Regarding the partnership with Angola, in air transport, it is a process that the Government of Cape Verde has been working with the Government of Angola since 2018. We started this process of talks and we hope that we can find the best solutions", said Ulisses Correia and Silva.

The head of government also added that the occupancy rate on the plane with which TACV operates is currently around 45 percent.

Transportes Aéreos de Cabo Verde (TACV) was privatized by the Government in 2019, with the sale of 51 percent of the share capital to Icelandic investors, and renationalized in 2021 by decision of the Government, following the covid-19 pandemic.

During the debate, PAICV deputies challenged the Government to make the company, which since 2019 has only been dedicated to international flights, return to domestic flights, between islands, which it stopped performing in 2017, transport guaranteed since then by a single company.

Cabo Verde Airlines (CVA), the commercial name of TACV, announced on 17 January that it will restart international connections to the island of Sal from 11 February, with flights to Lisbon, the third Cape Verdean island to resume the connection. air to Portugal.

In a statement, TACV – CVA states that the Sal – Lisbon – Sal connection will be the next route to be operated by the company, which returned to flight at the end of December, after 21 months without commercial activity due to the covid-19 pandemic.

"According to the recovery plan, the company is gradually introducing more flights based on the evolution of the covid-19 pandemic and the recovery of outbound markets", the statement recalls.

TACV resumed operations on the Lisbon - Praia route on December 27, coinciding with the 63rd anniversary of the Cape Verdean airline, after an interregnum started in March 2020, following international limitations imposed to contain the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the company announced that it will restart weekly operations on the Lisbon – Mindelo route, on the island of São Vicente, on 3 February.

At the end of December, after an extraordinary general meeting, the company's president, Sara Pires, also predicted the return of flights between Praia and Boston (United States of America), in the second quarter.

Also during this year, Sara Pires said that the Cape Verdean flag carrier intends to resume connections to Paris and the Brazilian market.

The company has resumed operations with one plane, with two weekly connections from Praia to Lisbon, but according to the president, it should introduce a new device in the second quarter of this year and by the end of 2023 have three planes flying in its colors.

This entire recovery plan, he warned, is conditioned by the situation of the covid-19 pandemic at the moment, with the resurgence of new cases not only in Cape Verde, with the circulation of the Ómicron variant.