Angolan state carrier TAAG Angola Airlines strives to meet the demand for travel by announcing it will resume its flights to Havana, the capital of Cuba. In addition, the airline is increasing its scheduled frequencies to seven domestic and three international destinations as it progressively recovers its frequencies and the destinations it operated in before the pandemic.
Return to Cuba and increase to Brazil
As of November 8, the company will reconnect Luanda (LAD) with Havana (HAV), Cuba, which flew uninterruptedly from 1984 to 2020, since then it has only operated a few humanitarian and cargo charter flights.
In addition, operations to São Paulo/Guarulhos will increase from three to four weekly flights from November 5 which it initially operates once every two weeks.
However, from December and January, the frequency will increase to weekly, before dropping to bi-weekly in February. Regarding the reopening of the route, TAAG Angola Airlines stated
“The conditions are now ready to reconnect two countries sharing a strong bond. Passenger exchange is relevant, namely the corporate segment (Cuban doctors and teachers) entering Luanda, and, on the other hand, travels related to tourism, education, and health care going to Cuba,” TAAG Angola Airlines said.
During the first half of 2022 (January-June), the company moved 94,676 passengers between both destinations, according to ANAC Brasil.
Mozambique and Namibia
As of October 2, African both capitals will add frequency:
- Maputo (MPN), Mozambique, increase from 3 to 4 flights per week, operating on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday on Boeing 737-700 aircraft.
- Windhoek, Namibia; increase from 4 to 5 flights per week, operating Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday on Dash 8-400 aircraft.
It will, however, maintain its frequencies in other international destinations including:
- Lisbon (LIS), Portugal, twelve weekly flights.
- Madrid (MAD), Spain, two weekly flights.
- Johannesburg (JNB), South Africa, one daily flight.
- Cape Town (CPT), South Africa, four weekly flights.
- Lagos (LOS), Nigeria, two weekly flights.
- Kinshasa (FIH), the Democratic Republic of the Congo, two weekly flights.
- São Tome (TMS9, São Tomé and Príncipe, one weekly flight.
Domestic destinations
TAAG has just added 11 new flights that will reinforce existing connections in 6 provinces from the north to the south of the country.
According to the airline, the domestic segment reflects greater mobility and interest of private and corporate passengers to travel
within Angola.
A special reference to the Luanda – Cabinda (CAB) route, one of the internal destinations with the highest demand, where approximately 90% of the flights will be operated on Boeing 737-700 aircraft. This means that 23 of the 26 weekly flights to Cabinda are made with B737s.
The rest of it’s domestic operations are carried out in the Dash 8-400, with the following frequency increases:
- Luanda – Catumbela (CBT), increases from 4 to 7 flights per week, pre-pandemic it operated with 9 flights per week.
- Luanda – Lubango (SDD), increases from 4 to 6 flights per week, pre-pandemic it operated with 8 flights per week.
- Luanda – Dundo (DUE), increases from 4 to 5 flights per week, exceeding the pre-pandemic levels that had 3 flights per week.
- Luanda – Luena (LUO), increases from 4 to 5 flights per week, exceeding the pre-pandemic levels that had 3 flights per week.
- Luanda – Ondjiva (Cunene), increases from 2 to 4 flights per week, exceeding the pre-pandemic levels that had 3 flights per week.
- Luanda – Huambo (NOV), increases from 2 to 4 flights per week, pre-pandemic it operated with 6 flights per week.
The company will maintain the Namibe (MSZ), Saurimo (VHC), Uige (UGO), Menongue (SPP) and Kuito (SVP) frequencies; with 4 flights per week the first two and from 2 to 1 weekly flight in the last destinations.
Featured image: @aviator_nic/ Airspace Africa
