“TAP, like every airline in the world, was forced to make a rough landing” – Pedro Nuno Santos
The Minister of Infrastructure and Housing appeals for "the time and confidence TAP needs in order to restructure, becoming more efficient and more competitive."
With the pandemic, TAP, “like all airlines in the world, was forced to make a rough landing,” stresses the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, in an opinion article published in Jornal de Negócios. Pedro Nuno Santos points out that the consequences of the pandemic’s impact, which was “so violent”, will be felt “for years to come.”
The Portuguese minister admits that the restructuring plan “has not yet received final approval from the European Commission,” but points out that “with proper coordination with the European entities, it is already being implemented.” This is because “TAP couldn’t wait” and therefore went ahead with “reductions in fleet, supplier and employee costs.”
“Dropping TAP would mean giving up €3 billion in annual exports and €1.3 billion in purchases from over 1,000 national companies,” Pedro Nuno Santos stressed. The minister appeals for “the time and confidence TAP needs in order to restructure, becoming more efficient and more competitive,” in order to “continue serving our economy and connecting Portugal to Europe and the world.”
