State-owned Angolan airline, TAAG Angola Airlines, intends to increase the number of weekly flights between its capital Luanda and the Brazilian city, Sao Paulo. TAAG is looking at four to six flights from Angola to Sao Paulo each week in a move to bolster tourism and trade ties between the two countries. Further, Angola is aiming to satisfy the expanding market demand and offer customers better travel options between these Portuguese-speaking countries.
This new development comes after TAAG Angola Airlines and Brazilian carrier GOL Airlines signed a codeshare deal.
State-owned Angolan airline, TAAG Angola Airlines. Photo/South Africa Travel Online
TAAG Angola will begin operating a regular night trip with a Boeing 777 from the Luanda International Airport to the Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport. Luanda and Sao Paulo are well-positioned to rake in tidy profits from their strategic positions as connection hubs between South America, Africa, and Europe. There is increased demand for travel from these regions and Luanda is the perfect African connection hub to South America.
Why Are More TAAG Angola Airlines Flights to Brazil Important?
The Angolan airline in a statement says that more flights to Sao Paulo from Luanda position the capital as a prime continental connection destination. Beyond its trade-bolstering effect, it also promotes Angola as an inter-continental destination. Further, TAAG is now committed to bettering its customer service and giving value to travellers flying to and from Luanda.
“TAAG Angola Airlines is committed to continually improving customer service, providing families and the corporate segment with greater connection availability covering destinations with high demand,” the airline said in a statement.
“On this route, the average load factor is 73%, a positive reference within the civil aviation benchmark.”
TAAG Angola Airlines serves both domestic and international destinations with a fleet of Boeing 777 and 737 aircraft. Additionally, there is also a sizeable number of regional DHC-8-Q400 twin-turboprop aircraft. The airline’s international network connects 12 destinations, while its domestic network links 14 destinations.
Moreover, Angola will immensely gain from its air freight services, which is crucial to its socioeconomic development and economic diversification.
Angola-Brazil Relationship
Sao Paulo from the Sky . Photo/YouTube
Over and above TAAG Angola Airlines ramping up weekly flights to Sao Paulo; the two nations have had a harmonious co-existence for decades now. With about 15,000 members, Angola is the largest African country with a Brazilian population. Many of these fellow countrymen have lived there for a long time and are deeply ingrained in the Angolan culture with which they are connected via work and family.
Due to the high demand for visas from Angolans to visit, study, and work in Brazil; the Brazilian Embassy in Luanda is now the second busiest consular facility outside of Brazil. Also, one of Brazil’s top trading partners in Africa is Angola.
Brazilian imports from Angola reached $169 million in 2021, compared to $408 million in exports. This South American country imports petroleum (72%) and natural gas (27%), while Angola’s exports include beef (15%), refined sugar (10%), and land vehicles (10%). According to figures from the Brazilian Central Bank, Brazilian investments in Angola totalled $612 million by the end of 2020.
