TAP’s Portugal-UK flight reservations soar since lifting of restrictions
Since Portugal was put on England's green list of destinations, TAP flights between the two countries have "more than doubled".
Passenger bookings on TAP flights between Portugal and the United Kingdom have “more than doubled” since Portugal was put on England’s green list of destinations, the airline said in a statement.
“From May 7 to 11, the volume of bookings for TAP flights between the two countries more than doubled, in sales on the airline’s website, compared to the same period in the previous week (April 30 to May 04) immediately prior to Portugal’s inclusion on the green list,” TAP said, stressing that “the growth in the number of bookings was 131%.”
“In response to the increase in demand, which has also been boosted by a promotional campaign for Portugal that TAP launched in the UK market under the claim ‘Unlock Portugal’, the airline will considerably increase its offer of flights between the two countries next month,” the carrier said in the same statement.
Thus, “in June, between Lisbon and London/Heathrow, TAP will increase flights from the current 10 per week to 19 flights per week”, and the airline “will also resume the route between the Portuguese capital and London’s Gatwick airport, with flights five times per week”.
In turn, “between Porto and London Gatwick, TAP will increase the number of weekly flights from four to seven, also starting in June.”
The airline also said that on Monday, “Portugal lifted restrictions on non-essential travel, allowing British tourists, but not only British tourists, to enter the country,” and “more than 20 countries that TAP currently operates to, and whose passengers can now travel to Portugal for leisure.
On that list are Angola, Belgium, Cabo Verde, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Mozambique, Poland, the Czech Republic, São Tomé, Senegal, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
“The lifting of restrictive measures now allows foreign tourists to enter Portugal, promoting tourism and the Portuguese economy,” TAP said.
The airline noted that “the limitation on travel for essential reasons only remains for passengers from countries where the incidence rate of Covid-19 remains equal to or higher than 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days” which leaves “out three countries to which TAP is operating: Brazil, the Netherlands and Sweden”.
“In total, TAP is operating 248 weekly flights to European destinations and 31 weekly flights to African destinations”, with “26 flights per week between Portugal and Brazil” and in North America 16 weekly connections.
“As already announced, TAP is operating, in Central America, three flights per week between Lisbon-Cancun,” it recalled, adding that “TAP’s supply represents in May 34% and in June 49% of capacity, compared to equal periods of 2019, pre-pandemic.”
The carrier recalled that “passengers arriving in Portugal by air will still have to present proof of a laboratory RT-PCR Covid-19 test, with a negative result, carried out 72 hours before boarding” and that “passengers from countries whose travel for non-essential reasons remains limited must still comply with a 14-day quarantine period”.
Finally, “tickets for TAP flights purchased by 31 May, with a travel date set until December 31 2021, benefit from cost-free alterations.”
