EasyJet is extending its network to West Africa for the first time by introducing two routes from Portugal to Cape Verde, an archipelago in the central Atlantic Ocean.
The airline’s inaugural flights to the island of Sal will begin at the start of the winter 2024-25 season from Lisbon Airport (LIS) and Porto Airport (OPO). Sal will become the farthest point south and the farthest point west in the LCC’s network.
Operations from LIS to Sal’s Amílcar Cabral International Airport (SID) will be offered 4X-weekly starting Oct. 29, while flights from OPO will commence the following day and will be available twice a week. Both routes will be served using Airbus A320 aircraft.
The move increases the number of points offered by easyJet from LIS to 32 and from OPO to 29.
Cape Verde’s Tourism and Transport Minister, Carlos Santos, says the carrier’s entry to the Cape Verde market represents “a new chapter” in the country’s connectivity and “the beginning of a new stage in tourism.”
“It will create the conditions to attract new niches in the European tourism market, boosting the diversification and sustainability of tourism, the two guiding elements of the growth we aim for the sector,” he adds.
EasyJet serves 10 points in Africa at present—all of which are in North Africa. These destinations comprise Giza, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt; Agadir, Essaouira, Marrakech and Rabat in Morocco; and Djerba and Enfidha in Tunisia.
The carrier’s entry to the Cape Verde market will bring more low-cost capacity to the archipelago. According to data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser, only two LCCs currently offer flights to the country—SmartWings and Transavia France—accounting for 6.8% of all departure seats.
EasyJet will face direct competition on the LIS-SID sector with TAP Air Portugal and Cabo Verde Airlines, which serve the route 9X-weekly and 1X-weekly, respectively. Additionally, TAP flies from LIS to Boa Vista Island, Praia and Sao Vicente Island, while Cabo Verde Airlines serves LIS from Praia and Sao Vicente Island.
The OAG data shows that there are no nonstop flights from Porto to Cape Verde at present, but SmartWings will resume seasonal OPO-SID flights on June 27, operating once a week through Sept. 19.
Related Content
