TAP Portugal spreads its wings in Canada

Abandoned in the mid-1990s, Portugal’s national airline, TAP Portugal, is returning to the Canadian market with a series of competitive, direct flights from Toronto to Lisbon.

TAP Portugal will operate five times per week out of Toronto. Last February, TAP hit a new passenger record which saw a 27 per cent increase in bookings to Portugal from North America and Europe alone. As a result, TAP Portugal is ready to expand its business networks to include Toronto once more.

“Back in the 1990s, TAP was a very different airline carrier,” said Carlos Paneiro, vice president of sales in North and Central America. “We took traffic from Toronto, but never beyond. Now, we have a sustainable network to Europe, North America, and North Africa and we have the means to go above and beyond for our customers.”

With 2,500 weekly flights to 84 destinations in 34 countries, TAP Portugal is expecting a high volume of eager travellers. For that reason, the airline is in the midst of retrofitting all of the aircraft launching from Toronto to provide a seamless flying experience. TAP Portugal has added 53 new aircraft including 14 new Airbus A330neo, 15 A320neo, and 24 A321neo jets. In Portugal, the carrier offers a shuttle service between Lisbon and Porto, with 18 daily flights departing on the hour.

Passenger experience is at the heart of TAP Portugal’s new offer, which has accounted for more than 7,500 hours of manual labour that has gone into revitalizing the in-flight cabin experience in both business class and economy class.

“Our aim is quality, comfort, and entertainment,” Paneiro said. “There are only 25 seats in Business Class, which means the majority of our frequent flyers will be sitting in Economy Class and their needs are just as important.”

Roughly a seven-hour journey from Toronto, Lisbon is the nearest European capital from the Americas. It serves as the perfect destination to connect North Americans to Europe and beyond. “TAP Portugal’s end goal isn’t to serve only the Portuguese community, but rather, act as a gateway to Europe and the rest of the world,” Paneiro said.

Raul Travado, director of AICEP Portugal Global, and Luis Barros, consul general of Portugal in Toronto

Low-carrier airlines are popping up all over the flight network, and to keep up with its direct competitors, TAP Portugal has launched a series of marketing promotions in the hopes of attracting and retaining new passengers. For starters, the airline now offers branded fares which give the customer the utmost flexibility on their journey.

“The best news for our flyers is that we’re offering them affordable airfare with absolutely no frills,” said Liliana Vieira, district sales manager at TAP Portugal. “There’s a market for everyone depending on which fare you select, so despite how you choose to travel, you’re only paying for what you really need.”

TAP Portugal has also designed a unique Portugal Stopover that lets those en route to Europe, Africa, or North America discover Portugal along the way for up to 72 hours, free of charge. Most competitors currently only offer 48-hour options.