TAP Portugal Recovery Continues

Passenger numbers at TAP rose 4.7 percent in September as new US routes boosted the Portuguese flag carrier.

Total passengers carried during the month rose to 1,160,873, with Boston and New York JFK routes helping push the US total up 104.5 percent.

Overall numbers for the intercontinental sector were up 11.3 percent in September.

A consortium, led by David Neeleman, former chief executive of JetBlue, and Humberto Pedrosa, took over 61 percent of TAP in a part privatisation in 2015.

The deal was amended in early 2016 as a new Portuguese government regained control of the airline with a 50 percent stake. The Neeleman/Pedrosa consortium agreed to reduce their stake to 45 percent.

The Atlantic Gateway Consortium has restructured the airline’s network and introduced capacity and aircraft changes.