Like many African airlines, Angola’s TAAG is undergoing a transformation to meet the challenges of today’s continental free-trade area. With new management, new destinations and a determination to make Luanda an international cargo hub, TAAG’s future looks bright.
On the verge of being privatised in February 2023, the national airline TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola has embarked on a vast public relations operation. The aim is to prove its profitability, in order to attract investors. To this end, the Angolan airline announced in a press release dated Wednesday, November 22, 2023, that from December 11, 2023, it would be flying to more African countries. According to TAAG, Windhoek in Namibia will have daily flights and Ponta Negra in the Republic of Congo will have a second weekly flight introduced, with flights on Mondays and Fridays. A second flight will also be introduced to Sao Tomé, with flights on Mondays and Fridays, and a fifth flight will be created to Maputo in Mozambique, with flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
It’s really grown in leaps and bounds not just in terms of conference sizing but in terms of the impact this decision is having on facilitating aviation business and the entire ecosystem.
Adefunke Adeyemi, Regional Director, Advocacy and Strategic Relations, IATA
In the last decade alone, fifteen operators have abandoned Angola as a preferred destination, due to operating costs and commercial strategies, aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic, which severely affected the civil aviation sector due to the closure of borders, contributing to a drastic reduction in demand and financial losses.
Once the studies have been completed, there will be further work to be carried out, including the construction of another multi-track terminal. These works will eventually enable the airport to welcome 65 million passengers a year.
João Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola
Over the next five years,TAAG, founded in 1938, plans to reach 30 aircraft in full operation and to carry three million passengers during this period. By 2022, the company will have carried at least one million passengers, 60% more than in 2019.
