TAP will phase in two new A330-200 long haul aircraft until next June in order to leverage its plan to expand services in the United States, a market where the company will vigorously promote Portugal as an excellent tourism destination and Lisbon as the prime gateway into Europe for North American travellers.

To achieve such target, TAP will soon launch promotional campaigns and initiatives to promote Portugal in the USA – the largest market worldwide – and also provide the American travellers with an incentive program encouraging them to choose Lisbon as the best stopover when flying from / to Europe.

Meanwhile, TAP has already started the process to obtain the necessary authorizations from both the aviation and airport authorities and is due to announce soon its detailed expansion program for the USA.

According to the US Travel & Tourism Office data, as many as 11 million of North American citizens visit Europe every year and spend some USD 32.5 billion abroad (excluding air travel). Reason why TAP is strongly committed to capture a share of such revenues and direct them to Portugal.

In view of the economic slowdown currently impacting in a number of TAP’s main international markets, such as Brazil and Angola, TAP felt the need of reducing its exposure and decided to shift its focus and operations to other markets with more potential, thus prompting the company’s plans to extend operations to further destinations within the USA.

The additional A330-200s will be leased in (in operational lease) and start operations with TAP right in time to reinforce services during the peak summer season. With the phase in of these two A330’s, the company’s long haul fleet increases to 20 aircraft.

With a cabin displaying 20 lie flat seats from Stelia Solstys in Executive Class and the new slimline Zim EC01 seats with a 34’’ pitch in Economy Plus and a 31” pitch in Economy, passengers will be provided with added comfort as well as with the most advanced audio and visual systems using the most up-to-date Panasonic EX-3 in-flight individual on-demand entertainment system.

After being completely renovated and retrofitted with new seats, new entertainment systems and new galleys as well as new toilets and lighting, these aircraft are, in every sense, consistent with the most recent generation of aircraft in the world in their class. With seat capacity for 271 passengers – 20 in Executive Class, 104 in Economy Plus and 147 in Economy – these A330 aircraft already display the new configuration into which the entire TAP fleet of A330-200s currently in operation is to be retrofitted from 2017 onward.

This is one of the investments underway at TAP today, in addition to the ones recently announced that include the order for 53 new Airbus aircraft; € 60 million for the cabin retrofit of TAP current fleet; € 11 million to retrofit 12 A320-family aircraft with sharklet devices and the complete renewal of the regional fleet that will operate at TAP Express.