With Portuguese companies gaining various large contracts and growing numbers of young Portuguese professionals moving to ex-colony Mozambique in hopes of escaping the Euro-zone Crisis, so Portuguese carrier TAP Air Portugal (TP) is set to boost direct flights between Lisbon and Maputo from 3x weekly, to 4x weekly, with the addition of a Monday flight effective 2 July 2012. The route is serviced by an Airbus A340-300. |
| TAP Air Portugal in Maputo (AChaves) |
So strong has performance on the route been, that TAP in January 2011 axed its Lisbon - Maputo - Johannesburg, South Africa flight in order to better focus on the Mozambique market.
TAP Air Portugal: Lisbon - Maputo
-Effective 2 July 2012
- TP281 LIS0950 - 2120MPM 343 1247
- TP282 MPM2305 – 0915+1LIS 343 1247
Also being considered are flights from Lisbon to the northern Mozambican port of Nacala, in Nampula Province, the site of enormous coal and phosphate deposits (in addition to the various infrastructural improvements they will need), currently being exploited by a fellow Lusophone country Brazil's, Vale S.A.
"The current average occupancy of flights to Maputo is estimated at 80 percent and Couto said that her company is taking into consideration the possibility of flying to Nacala in the northern province of Nampula in case the number of clients is significant and if the airport rehabilitation allows it to host planes operated by TAP."
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| A Rendering of Nacala Airport (ADM) |
Presently, Nacala Airport is being upgraded by Brazilian firm Odebrecht International and entails the construction of passenger and cargo terminals, a control tower, maintenance building, firefighting building, runway, taxi ways, a parking lot and all necessary equipment and systems. The project will involve 23 months of construction work, with delivery scheduled for March 2013. The runway will be 3,400 metres (11,200 ft) long, able to handle a Boeing 757 or 767 whilst the airport itself will be able to handle 500,000 to 600,000 passengers a year.
