Only 2% of TAP’s long haul flights don’t use an Airbus Neo
TAP Air Portugal’s long-haul network spans 26 routes from Lisbon and Porto in January, and virtually every flight is now by an Airbus neo. However, TAP has one active passenger A330-200, and JFK will welcome it – although it has also substituted the A330neo to Luanda.
This month TAP Air Portugal serves some 23 destinations over 3,000 miles (4,838km), considered the minimum distance for long-haul service. About one in seven flights are long-haul, analyzing OAG schedules indicates. Its network spans the US, Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Mozambique, and Angola. The most recent addition was Punta Cana on December 11th.
Of TAP’s approximately 554 long-haul departures from its homeland, 370 are by the 298-seat A330-900, 172 see the A321LR, and only about 12 (2%) are by the 269-seat A330-200. TAP now has just one passenger A330-200, CS-TOO, delivered in April 2008. When writing, it is en route from Luanda to Lisbon, replacing the usual A330neo.
The Portuguese flag carrier has 23 long-haul routes from Lisbon and three Porto, the country’s second-largest city. Some 15 routes see only the A330-900, six the A321LR, and five both types. However, some airports are dominated by one type, with the second appearing infrequently. Toronto, for example, is primarily by the A321LR but sees the A330neo on January 2nd and 3rd.
As you’d expect, Lisbon to São Paulo Guarulhos has more service than any other route, as shown below in order of flights. However, it’s not far ahead of Newark, the Star Alliance hub and currently United’s busiest airport by seats and available seat miles.
- Lisbon (LIS) to São Paulo (GRU); operated by the A330-900 in January 2022
- LIS-Newark (EWR); A321LR and A330-900
- LIS-Rio de Janeiro (GIG); A330-900 LIS-JFK; A330-900 and A330-200
- LIS-Recife (REC) continuing to Maceió (MCZ); A321LR
- LIS-Toronto (YYZ); A321LR and A330-900
- LIS-Boston (BOS); A321LR and A330-900
- LIS-Luanda (LAD); A330-900 (but note the comment above)
- LIS-Washington Dulles (IAD); A321LR
- LIS-Miami (MIA); A330-900
- LIS-Fortaleza (FOR); A330-900 and A321LR
- LIS-Cancun (CUN); A330-900
- LIS-Brasília (BSB); A330-900
- LIS-Belo Horizonte (CNF); A330-900
- LIS-Salvador (SSA); A330-900
- LIS-San Francisco (SFO); A330-900
- LIS-Natal (NAT); A321LR
- LIS-Chicago (ORD); A330-900
- LIS-Punta Cana (PUJ); A330-900
- LIS-Montréal (YUL); A321LR
- LIS-Maputo (MPM); A330-900
- LIS-Belém (BEL); A321LR
- Porto (OPO) to GRU; A330-900
- OPO to EWR; A330-900
- OPO to GIG; A330-900
Another destination almost makes it on the list
The Portuguese-speaking country São Tomé and Príncipe, located south of Nigeria and west of Gabon, falls just short of the 3,000-mile cut-off. TAP serves the place, the least populous Portuguese-speaking country, via Accra in both directions, pushing it to 2,947 miles (4,743km).
Operating five-weekly, TP1527 departs Lisbon at 09:35 and arrives in Ghana at 15:10 local time. After an hour on the ground, it continues to São Tomé, arriving at 17:55. Returning, TP1528 leaves two hours later, arrives in Accra at 21:30, departs at 22:30, and arrives home at 04:10 the next day. This month it’ll use the A321LR.
