TAP Air Portugal Eyes Further North American Improvements, Enhanced Partnerships

TAP Air Portugal is gearing up to boost its presence in North America and strengthen its airline partnerships as part of its broader strategy to enhance connectivity and customer offering, according to Henri-Charles Ozarovsky, group head of strategy.

Speaking to Aviation Week, he outlined TAP’s ambitions to further strengthen its long-haul schedules, including in the U.S. and Canada, where the airline sees healthy growth. The carrier currently serves nine destinations in the region, including Star Alliance partner hubs in Chicago, Montreal, Newark, San Francisco, Toronto Pearson and Washington Dulles. The airline also flies to Miami, Boston and New York JFK—all major bases for several codeshare partners.

“Our aim is to continue growing our product so we can at one point offer daily services in existing markets, like Chicago and San Francisco, which will benefit our customers” Ozarovsky said. “But we’re constantly evaluating destinations and using our partners to capture some of the one-stop demand we’re already seeing. We’ll keep a close watch on these markets and, as they grow, we have data to consider expanding our network to diversify our revenue.”

During the peak summer 2024 season, TAP offered approximately 43,200 two-way weekly seats between Portugal and North America, an increase of about 41% compared to summer 2019 levels. In total, carriers serving the market provided around 104,000 nonstop weekly seats, up 43% from 2019.

“We are always evaluating existing and new markets in future seasons and we will consider a possible move if the right opportunity presents itself,” Ozarovsky said when asked which destinations were under consideration. “However, only when our fleet cap ends in 2025 will we have room to think about these options even more closely.”

TAP currently has a fleet limit of 99 aircraft, which is part of the conditions set by the European Commission as part of its restructuring plan approved in December 2021.

Several major destinations in North America are currently unserved nonstop from Portugal, including cities such as Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and Vancouver, as well as Mexico’s capital Mexico City, which attracts sizable indirect flows.

Ozarovsky explained that TAP’s planned North American enhancements are part of a larger strategy to deepen its network and airline partnerships in all key regions. While the Star Alliance member has a strong foundation in Brazil, he acknowledged that there is still work to be done to enhance one-stop connectivity to Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America.

“We’re looking at improved codeshare agreements with airlines in Argentina, Chile, Mexico and other parts of Central and South America,” Ozarovsky said. “Such partnerships are crucial for airlines, but they take time to develop.”

In addition to its efforts in North and South America, TAP is also exploring further partnerships in Asia and Africa. “Partnerships are essential for us to increase the depth and breadth of our network,” Ozarovsky added. “They have a halo effect on our brand and are a key part of our strategy moving forward.”

Ozarovsky is one of the speakers at Routes World 2024, taking place in Bahrain from Oct. 6-8.