TAP Air Portugal is the flag carrier of Portugal, headquartered at Lisbon Airport which also serves as its hub. TAP – Transportes Aéreos Portugueses – has been a member of Star Alliance since 2005 and operates on average 2,500 flights a week to 90 destinations[3] in 34 countries worldwide. As of May 2019 the company has a fleet of 100 aircraft,[4] all of which are manufactured by Airbus with the exception of 19 aircraft manufactured by Embraer, operating on behalf of the regional airline TAP Express.
The airline was established on 14 March 1945 and began commercial services on 19 September 1946. Having been founded as a national institution, the airline was privatised for the first time in its history in 1953. Throughout its existence, TAP has alternated between public and private ownership.
In 1965, it bought its first Boeing-built jetliner, the 707. In 1967, the airline became the first in Europe to exclusively operate jets. In 1979, the airline underwent a modernisation programme, changing its name to TAP Air Portugal. By the end of the decade, the airline operated a fleet of 32 modern airliners that served in excess of 40 destinations on four continents. During the 1980s, the fleet of Boeing 707s and 747s was replaced with Lockheed L-1011 TriStars and Airbus A310s on long-haul routes. In 1983, TAP started operating its first Boeing 737-200s on short-haul routes. By the late 1990s, TAP had sold its Boeing 727s and 737s, replacing them with Airbus A319, A320 and A321 aircraft. Its Lockheed L-1011 TriStars were also replaced by Airbus A340s. These changes led to TAP becoming an Airbus-only operator and exclusive customer of the European aircraft manufacturer ever since.
In 2022, the Portuguese government unveiled plans to reprivatise the airline.[5] The Portuguese Court of Audits has been highly critical of the public intervention on behalf of TAP.[6] In 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced 'historic' enforcement actions against six airlines, including TAP: $126.5 million in required refunds paid and a $1.1 million penalty, 'for extreme delays in providing refunds'.[7]
History
Establishment and early operations
On 14 March 1945, the airline was founded as state-owned company with the name Transportes Aéreos Portugueses (Portuguese Air Transportation) and operated under the jurisdiction of the Portuguese Civil Aviation Office.[8] Later that same year, it took delivery of its first aircraft, a pair of Douglas DC-3s. The airline began commercial services on 19 September 1946, performing an inaugural flight from Lisbon to Madrid, carrying a total of 11 passengers on one of its DC-3s.[8] On 31 December 1946, TAP began its Linha Aérea Imperial, a twelve-stop colonial service including Luanda, Angola and Lourenço Marques (now Maputo), Mozambique.[8] It covered 24.450 km within 15 days (both ways), making it the longest air service operated with twin-engine airliners at that time. To suit the tropical conditions at most of these destinations, a special uniform was adopted, comprising khaki shirts with either skirts or shorts.
Corporate affairs and identity
Business trends
The key trends for TAP Air Portugal incl. TAP Express are (as of the financial year ending December 31, 2023):[49]
Headquarters
TAP has its head office in Building 25 on the grounds of Humberto Delgado Airport in Santa Maria dos Olivais, Lisbon.[65][66]
Subsidiaries
TAP Air Portugal's subsidiaries are:
Awards
In 2007, TAP Air Portugal was awarded by NATO as the Best Engine/Aircraft Source of Repair for the NATO AWACS Maintenance Program and has been distinguished with the highest maintenance and overhaul practice awards from Airbus Industries in 1996, 2000, 2003, and 2005, being certified for full aircraft, engine and component maintenance and overhaul by the FAA, EASA, and several other important certification entities and aircraft manufacturers (Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer).[72]
In 2010, TAP Air Portugal was awarded the "World's Best Airline Award" by British Condé Nast Traveler magazine, after being rated for its excellence in previous years,[73] and was rated as the "Best Airline to South America" by the World Travel Awards in 2009 and 2010, with nominations for "Europe's Leading Airline" and "Europe's Leading Business Class" in 2007, 2009 and 2010.[74] TAP Air Portugal has also consistently achieved high ranks and various awards from specializ]sed air travel publications such as Skytrax and Publituris due to the company's excellence in service and performance.[75] In recent years, TAP Air Portugal has been consecutively elected World's Leading Airline to Africa and South America by the World Travel Awards (WTA), considered the "Oscars" of the world travel industry.
Destinations
As of June 2017,[78] TAP Air Portugal serves 87[78] destinations in 34 countries across Europe, Africa, North America and South America, with some domestic, European and African destinations being operated by TAP Express.[79]
TAP Air Portugal is the leading European airline flying to Brazil, offering more destinations from its hub in Lisbon than any other European airline. Many Europeans transit through Portugal to fly to Brazil due to a large number of airport slots TAP holds in the South American country.[30]
In March 2016, TAP Air Portugal began an air shuttle service, designated "Ponte Aérea", to connect Lisbon and Porto's airports with flights every hour adding up to 18 round-trip flights. It is operated by White Airways on behalf of the regional brand Portugália. As of 2019, TAP Air Portugal will launch 15 new routes as well as receive 15 new aircraft.
Fleet
Current fleet
As of August 2025, TAP Air Portugal operates an all-Airbus fleet composed of the following aircraft:[91]
Fleet development
TAP Air Portugal became the launch customer of the Airbus A330neo in November 2018 when the airframer delivered to the airline the first aircraft of the type, on lease from Avolon. TAP ordered 21 of these aircraft, of which 10 are directly ordered from Airbus and the rest will be leased. As of September 2018 they estimate to have 133 aircraft in the fleet by 2025 including TAP Express.[101]
Historic fleet
Services
Lounges
TAP Air Portugal offers two different lounges at Lisbon Airport, the TAP Premium Lounge, available for Victoria Gold Winners, Star Alliance Gold members and passengers flying on business class on Star Alliance flights, while Victoria Silver Winners only have access to the Blue Lounge, contracted with the handling subsidiary Groundforce.
Cabins
The aircraft are divided into a two-class cabin: business class (branded as tap|executive) and economy classes (tap|plus, tap|classic, tap|basic and tap|discount). TAP Air Portugal does not offer first-class services. On the medium-haul fleet of Airbus A319, Airbus A320 and Airbus A321 aircraft, both cabins have been retrofitted with new leather seats.[108] The executive class offers better privacy than economy class, and more meal options. On the long-haul fleet of Airbus A330, A330neo and A321LR aircraft, the cabin is divided into a two-class layout. The economy class of the new Airbus A330s, A330neos and A321LRs are equipped with modern individual
Accidents and incidents
According to the JACDEC Airliner Safety Report released in January 2021 TAP ranks 22nd on the list of 100 largest airlines measured by their revenue passenger performance in RPK's.[114]
- On 27 January 1948, a Douglas C-47A-50-DL (DC-3) (registered as CS-TDB) was conducting a training flight over Lisbon in adverse weather when the plane lost control and crashed in Monte da Caparica. All 3 people on board were killed.[115][116]
- TAP Air Portugal Flight 425: the crash of Flight 425 at Madeira Airport on 19 November 1977 remains TAP's deadliest accident. Flight 425 was flying to Madeira Airport from Brussels via Lisbon. The Boeing 727 crashed while landing on runway 24 in heavy rain. Before the crash, the pilot had made two unsuccessful attempts to land and had decided to make one more attempt. The plane touched down too late and overran the runway which was, at the time, only 1600 m long. The plane crashed onto a beach at the end of the runway, splitting into two pieces and bursting into flames. Of the 164 people aboard, 131 were killed and 33 survived. It is the second-deadliest airplane accident in Portugal (after
External links
References
- TAP Air Portugal on ch-aviation ch-aviation, retrieved 2023-11-09^
- Government sacks TAP CEO The Portugal News, 7 March 2023^
- Discover the fleet Flytap, retrieved 8 January 2020^