TAP Air Portugal to Resume North American Flights

TAP Air Portugal is restarting flights to North America on June 4 following the completion of its three-phased re-opening. It will start with flights between Lisbon and Newark, and it has plans to launch additional services to Boston, Miami and Toronto from the Portuguese capital in July. Each planned service will start with two weekly flights.

In addition to the routes it is restarting, TAP is inaugurating three new routes this summer, the airline announced in a press release. Flights between Ponta Delgada, in the Azores, and Boston will begin on July 1, and flights from Ponta Delgada to Toronto will begin on July 2. TAP will launch a thrice-weekly service connecting Lisbon and Montreal on July 30.

TAP is also resuming international flights to South America, Africa, and Europe in the coming months in addition to a range of domestic services.

By July, TAP plans to have resumed 19 percent of its previous network, accounting for 247 weekly flights. 

TAP is the latest in a rising number of major international carriers who are steadily increasing their services as jurisdictions begin reopening and governments allow for more and more travel amid the Coronavirus pandemic. Passenger numbers around the world are slowly but surely beginning to pick up, and the global aviation industry may be moving toward a full recovery in the coming years.

Still, airlines are making a notable effort to maintain and promote cleanliness onboard their planes.

TAP has implemented a rigorous health standard called TAP Clean & Safe in line with EASA, IATA, DGS and UCS guidelines. It started disinfecting its aircraft on March 20, including a fogging process that captures viruses and common bacteria in under a minute and other efforts to disinfect commonly touched surfaces.

The airline has also equipped its aircraft with an air recycling system that renews cabin air up to 20 times per hour to filter 99.9% of viruses in the air. Crews are required to wear Personal Protective Equipment in flight and have disinfecting materials on hand, and TAP says it has trained crews to “identify, approach, and treat suspected cases of infectious disease, including COVID-19.” Services have been simplified to reduce nonessential contact in the cabin, and the distribution of physical on-board magazines has been suspended in favor of online copies.

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John McDermott

John McDermott is a commercial pilot pursuing a career in professional flight. His passion for aviation began in an Ann Arbor bookstore with a tale of enemy pilots during World War 2, and he hasn't looked back. Besides flying and writing for AirlineGeeks, John volunteers with Professional Pilots of Tomorrow and travels whenever he gets the chance.

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