In a statement to the Lusa agency, the director of TAAG's Institutional Communication and Press Office, Carlos Vicente, explained that the change aims to overcome the difficulties of acquiring foreign currency for their operations abroad.
"TAAG's operating expenses abroad are paid in local currency. As previously anyone who started traveling abroad could make the payment in Angola, this meant that we no longer had the money to pay our operating expenses abroad," he said.
According to Carlos Vicente, in face of the previous situation the national airline was "stuck with exchange rates" in order to acquire foreign currency.
"Hence this decision," he said, emphasizing that the measure has some exceptions.
Carlos Vicente said that the decision applies to passengers who purchase tickets at this stage, unlike those who already had tickets with dates in the pandemic period, that is, from the state of emergency decreed due to the covid-19 pandemic, in March, until the time TAAG adopted this measure.
In the communiqué, TAAG informs that for routes started outside Angola, tickets should be sold in the currency of the country of the initial route or in convertible currency.
The company accepts the purchase of tickets using a credit card via the website in foreign currency, for routes started both in Angola and abroad.
"Exceptionally, payment in kwanzas is allowed for trips departing (initial route) abroad in cases related to study abroad, travel by illness or death, upon justified request of the interested party", is indicated in the document.
Regarding penalties and excess baggage, as well as advance requests for excess baggage, TAAG informs that they must be paid in the currency allowed by the country to which the 'coupon' to be made refers.
In the case of trips already started, it is pointed out in the communication, the re-issues of tickets will be paid in the currency of the country where the passenger is.
"While the period of travel restrictions to and from Angola due to the pandemic elapses, the payments of penalties and re-issues of tickets purchased before the entry into force of this policy, may be made exceptionally in any currency," stresses TAAG in its statement.
