TAP Portugal finance director Teresa Lopes, speaking at the CAPA – Aviation Fleet & Finance Summit, said the carrier will consider Asia routes beyond 2017 following the arrival of the A350 aircraft to its fleet, but added it will not happen before then.
The airline’s fleet (including that of its fully-owned subsidiary Portugalia) currently comprises 16 wide-body Airbus aircraft, 39 A320-series aircraft, 6 Fokker 100s, 8 Embraer ERJ 145s and 2 Beechcraft 1900Ds. According to Airbus, the airline’s unique orders for new aircraft are for 12 A350-900s.
TAP Portugal finance director Teresa Lopes, speaking at the CAPA – Airline Fleet & Finance Summit 2014, and commenting on financing for the carrier’s A350 fleet, stated it is hoping to have access to some cash through its privatization if it occurs. Ms Lopes also said if its privatization does not happen then the carrier will consider tapping the market to see what is available by 2017, when the aircraft are scheduled for delivery. She added the carrier have always been able to finance its aircraft successfully.
For a government-owned flag-carrier operating in one of Europe’s most economically challenged countries, TAP Portugal had a surprisingly good 2013. Passenger number were up 5% to an all-time high of 10.7 million, and the annual load factor reached 79.4%, another company record. TAP Portugal has announced plans to serve 10 new destinations in 2014, including 2 in Brazil, which will be appreciated by football fans across Europe.
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