The Portuguese airline had scheduled several flights in August to connect Luanda to Lisbon, but some did not materialize, as had been announced for the 14th and should only take place this Wednesday.
"TAP designed and put up for sale the operation for Luanda for the month of August before the restriction on scheduled flights was extended. After this extension of the restrictions, on August 7, by the Angolan authorities, TAP reformulated the operation, which led to the cancellation and postponement of dates of its Luanda-Lisbon operation," justified the company in a reply sent to Lusa.
TAP added that it plans to operate the Luanda route in August "with two operations per week", without specifying dates.
On Friday, TAP admitted it had committed "an oversight" in the information sent to passengers about the cancellation of flights from Angola, after a protest by the National Civil Aviation Institute (INAVIC), which was targeted in the communications.
"The company sent a communication informing passengers of the cancellation of flights in Angola, however, due to an oversight, instead of the communication to passengers making reference to the covid-19 pandemic and consequent restrictions defined by law, it mistakenly referred to INAVIC," said the company's source in response to the Lusa agency.
The Angolan INAVIC accused TAP of denying boarding to passengers allowed to enter Angola and of operating 'commercial flights' under humanitarian flights.
The website of the Consulate-General of Portugal in Luanda reports that flights are scheduled from TAP on 19 and 21 August at 21.45 and from the Angolan carrier TAAG on 18, 20, 25 and 27 August, underlining that the return flights to Portugal are from the respective airlines.
Angola has kept its airspace closed since 20 March to contain the spread of covid-19, but has authorised cargo and other flights in special situations subject to health control and subject to the approval of the Angolan authorities.
On 7 August a presidential decree was approved which extends the public disaster situation until 8 September, maintaining the health fence in Luanda province and Cazengo municipality (Kwanza-Norte province), which means that regular international commercial flights to and from Angola will continue to be suspended indefinitely.
The decree allows for special situations, namely the return of national citizens as well as resident foreigners, travel by foreign citizens to their respective countries, humanitarian aid or medical emergency and the entry of foreign specialists for specific tasks, among others.
Passengers traveling to Angola must submit a RT-PCR SARS-cov-2 molecular biology test, with negative result, performed within 72 hours prior to the trip.
Angolan citizens and resident foreigners may carry out home quarantine, signing a term of responsibility, while non-resident foreigners are required to carry out institutional quarantine.
Passengers traveling from Angola to Portugal must present proof of a laboratory test for screening for SARS-CoV-2 infection, with a negative result, performed up to 72 hours before boarding.
National citizens and foreigners residing in Portugal who, exceptionally, do not carry out the above test, will be subject to this test on arrival in national territory, at their own expense. Foreign nationals not resident in Portugal who do not present proof of a negative test will not be allowed to board, while transit passengers are exempt from presenting the test as long as they do not leave the international area of the airport.
