Transportes Aéreos de Cabo Verde, TACV, the Cape Verdian flag carrier, has taken ownership of the first of its two ILFC Boeing 737-800s (N734MA & N742MA) ordered as part of its fleet renewal program.
The acquisition of the aircraft comes after the Cape Verdean government last year managed to renegotiate with the International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) by guaranteeing an USD$800'000 loan, necessary to secure the two aircraft.
Carlos Carvalho did not give a date for the arrival of the first aircraft in Cape Verde but Cape Verdean newspaper A Semana said that the new Boeing would land at Nelson Mandela airport in Praia in July.
TACV B737-800 'D4-CBX' (D Morales) The second Boeing is due to arrive in September and has capacity to carry 162 passengers. It is expected to operate on the Cape Verde-Portugal route and will allow TACV to return the Air Atlantic aircraft that currently operates the route.The aircraft has capacity to carry just over 150 passengers and will allow TACV to open up new routes to the sub-African region, which is a market that Cape Verde wants to explore, as well as to increase links to Boston (United States), which is increasingly sought after.
