By Victor Shalton
TAAG Angola Airlines Resumes Flights to Lisbon, Sao Paulo, Johannesburg
TAAG Angola Airlines has announced the resumption of three internationals flights, including services to Lisbon, which started on March 17; São Paulo, which began on March 19 and Johannesburg, which relaunched on March 20. The airline continues to offer its services with adherence to the new guidelines on measures to prevent and control the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19.
All travelers must present a negative COVID‑19 PCR test result conducted within 72 hours before departure before they fly.
“TAAG- Linhas Aéreas de Angola hereby informs that, according to the Executive’s new guidelines on measures to prevent and control the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 viruses, regular flights have been authorized to Lisbon, from March 17, 2021, and to Johannesburg, from March 20, 2021,” the airline announced.
Each flight will operate once in each direction each week. The outbound flight to Portugal leaves at 12:30pm on Wednesdays and arrives in Lisbon at 7:00 p.m.; the return flight departs Lisbon at 10:00 a.m. on Thursdays and arrives in Angola at 6:30 p.m.
The outbound flight to Johannesburg departs on Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. and arrives in Johannesburg at 2:20 p.m. The return flight departs Johannesburg at 4:35 p.m. and arrives back in Angola at 7:05 p.m.
Meanwhile, in a statement released by ACI Africa, Secretary General Ali Tounsi reiterated that, in 2020, African airports witnessed a 67% drop in passenger traffic compared to 2019, from 226 million to 74 million, a scenario he described as “never seen before.” The downfall in passenger traffic at African airports has had a direct consequence on airport revenues, with the overall loss for 2020 at $2.4 billion, a drop of 66% from the 2019 revenue figures.
He continues to explain that this is not the first time that the aviation industry in Africa has been profoundly impacted by ground-breaking events, and with the current shutdown, damaging as it is, is only the first act in a drama that will end with an aviation landscape in Africa being substantially different from the one we knew at the start of 2020.
“Airports are vital gears in the aviation ecosystem and are important engines of economic growth, wealth creation, and employment. Airports can and will be one of the main drivers of the aviation recovery but they cannot do this alone,” Tounsi said.
“The industry is stronger together, and by together I mean all the aviation stakeholders, including the Governments and airlines. By coming together, we will lay the foundations of recovery for sure, but as far as Africa is concerned, it will also help us tackle the hurdles which existed prior to COVID-19 to ensure that the air transport industry can deliver the economic and social benefits to the communities that it serves on the continent in a durable and sustainable manner,” continued Tounsi.
Even as aviation continues to face numerous and diverse challenges – from those concerning air traffic management to those concerning safety, the environment and many others – airlines are right now slowly returning to the skies, providing hope for the industry recovery, albeit with strict travel regulations to ensure safe travel experience for customers and employees.
Victor Shalton’s love for aviation can be traced to when he was 11-years-old. As a seasoned aviation writer, he takes pride in providing the best aviation coverage around the globe and is passionate about advancing his skills in the aviation space. In addition, he loves travelling, writing, arts and while his speaking engagements have taken him around the world, he is proud to call Nairobi home.
