Towards the reopening of an air link between Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe
The Prime Minister of Sao Tome and Principe, Dr. Jorge Bom Jesus, began a three-day official visit to Cape Verde on Monday 28 March 2022. His first day was rather fruitful, with the signing of five agreements in the fields of education, economy and air transport among others.
The authorities of Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe plan to reconnect their two countries by air, via Angola. The idea was in any case mentioned on Monday by the prime ministers of the two countries, Ulisses Correia e Silva and Jorge Bom Jesus. "Firstly, we want to find a tripartite solution: Cape Verde, Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe, in order to guarantee the continuity of the link," said the head of the Cape Verdean government, during a joint press conference
"We have been discussing for some time with a view to finding solutions for connectivity between our two countries, while allowing profitable flights," Silva added. According to him, one solution currently on the table is transit via Angola. "The one who is in Sao Tome and Principe buys a direct ticket to Praia, but passes through Luanda. The final objective is to have enough seats sold, to justify the opening of this route," he explained.
In the past, there was an air link between the three Portuguese-speaking countries. According to the Cape Verdean Prime Minister, it was interrupted due to lack of profitability. The desire to re-establish it comes after Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe signed an agreement on Monday for the reciprocal exemption of visas for the citizens of both countries. An agreement that could be extended to facilitate the installation of expatriates of both nations on either side.
It should be recalled that during the 45 years of cooperation between the two nations, several bilateral and multilateral legal instruments have been signed, in sectors such as training in the hotel and tourism industry, renewable energy and agriculture, fishing, among others.
