‘I wouldn’t choose a low-cost airline’ for the slots – TAP CEO

  • ECO News
  • 12 April 2022

Christine Ourmières-Widener has no doubt that she "wouldn't choose" a low-cost airline to take the 18 slots that TAP has to give up at Lisbon airport.

Christine Ourmières-Widener would prefer that a low-cost airline did not take over the 18 daily slots that TAP has to give up at Lisbon airport, as she believes that an increase in low-cost airlines in Lisbon would harm the economy. In an interview with Jornal de Negócios, TAP’s chief executive also acknowledged that “there is no margin for failure” in the restructuring plan.

“Of course not,” replies Christine Ourmières-Widener when asked if she would choose a low-cost airline to take TAP’s slots at Portela. “I think that not having an increase in low-costs could benefit the economy in general,” she justified. On the impact that this could have on the company’s operations, the official said that “there is no news”, as companies such as Ryanair or easyJet “are already in the hub”.

In the same interview, Christine Ourmières-Widener spoke about the recovery plan, stating that “there is no margin for failure”. “The plan is absolutely consistent with the expectation of potential growth,” says the CEO, a day after the carrier reported a record loss of €1.6 billion in 2021.