"No passenger or TAAG client, in this case, who has a ticket acquired for travel during the pandemic period and even if he has made the acquisition of his ticket in February or March of last year, but had a trip scheduled for April or even March of last year and, therefore, this whole period, wants to make his rebooking is exempt from penalty," explained Carlos Von Hafe, commercial director of TAAG.
Speaking to Rádio Nacional de Angola (RNA), the responsible clarified that the moratorium was extended until June 30.
"We know that this is a time of uncertainty for passengers and for our customers, but until June 30" passengers can be reimbursed or rebook their trips at no additional cost.
The responsible also made it known that TAAG has extended this moratorium and that "it is aware of the moment that is currently being lived", admitting that "the passenger is not to blame for the pandemic".
Carlos Von Hafe also said that the flag carrier has been doing "its best" to compensate passengers who do not want to reschedule their trip "either through reimbursement or through vouchers."
"We have been recommending passengers first to opt for vouchers," he said, adding that this document allows passengers to change the destination of the trip or pass the ticket to someone else's name.
He also mentioned the decrease in TAAG's commercial services, due to the pandemic, and noted that ticket sales have been constrained.
"The number of flights operated, compared to the same period last year, in the first three months of the year" is 5729 flights, he said, adding that in the first quarter of this year "only 1300" were performed.
"There is a drop of more than 75 percent here, both in operated flights and in the number of seats we rent in the market," which then conditions "all the demand that is made," which is higher than what the company is offering.
The TAAG commercial director also gives the example of one of its main routes, the one connecting Luanda to Lisbon: "We are operating one of our main routes, is the Luanda-Lisbon route, (...) with one weekly flight, when in the pre-pandemic period we operated 14 weekly flights only to Lisbon".
He stated that, although the demand is happening, the company cannot "meet it" because of the measures imposed by the pandemic.
