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Tuesday, January 15, 2013

► PORTUGAL: TACV in talks to start Ilha do Sal - Beja.

TACVTACV Transportes Aéreos de Cabo Verde (VR), the scheduled and charter, passenger and cargo airline based in Praia, Cape Verde is in negotiations to launch flights between Sal Island and Beja, a city in the Beja Municipality in the Alentejo Region, southern Portugal.


TACV Route Network
TACV Route Network (GreatCircleMapper)
According to TACV’s agent for the Iberian Region, Mário Almeida, the Cape Verdian national carrier is looking to operate six weekly frequencies in July and August, to Sal Island from Beja, from where TACV currently serves Boa Vista.

Lusophone newswire Macauhub quotes Almeida as saying that negotiations were underway with the airport’s management and added that several partners were involved, such as hoteliers and tour operators. He noted that an “agreement is expected next week.”

TACV carried out the airport’s inaugural flight on 13 April 2011 from Beja to Fogo Island, in Cape Verde, an event promoted by a number of entities and companies including the Ferreira do Alentejo council.

Originally a military airbase, Beja opened its doors to civilian use in April 2011 but has struggled to attract adequate traffic, with TACV, at present, the only carrier.

After a few promotional flights which took place in 2011, no airline has operated scheduled flights to Beja, leaving authorities to consider the option of converting the airport into an exclusive cargo facility. International transport company UTIis to operate its first cargo flight from Beja to Frankfurt, Germany in February.