Confirmed. Bestfly stops operating in Cape Verde

In the statement, the company states that it was "surprised by the receipt, on April 19, 2024, of a letter from the Civil Aviation Agency (AAC) of Cape Verde stating that, after initial approval, it had taken the decision to revoke the approval that it had granted for the wet lease contract of an aircraft mobilized to regularize inter-island connectivity in Cape Verde and which was already in the country".

The arrival of this aircraft in Cape Verde, said the company, "was intended to ensure the maintenance of the service provided by the carrier, making up for the absence of two aircraft that are immobilized due to maintenance".

"Every effort was made to ensure the fastest possible mobilization process for this aircraft, with TICV being aware that the inter-island connection in Cape Verde plays a fundamental role in the territorial, social and economic cohesion of the country", reinforces the airline in the same statement.

BestFly says it was surprised by the decision of the Civil Aviation Agency, which justified the decision by considering that the framing of the TICV request was “not plausible”.

"As far as wet leases are concerned, Cape Verdean regulations are clear: this mechanism can be used to reinforce the fleet or due to its unavailability in cases such as maintenance work. The framework presented by TICV for the request for approval of the wet lease contract is under and in full compliance with local regulations", reads the text sent by the airline to the media.

BestFly also criticizes the way the Civil Aviation Agency acted. "TICV recalls that the request for approval of the wet lease contract, which is of the utmost importance to ensure the proper functioning of the inter-island connection, was submitted to the AAC on April 1, 2024, having been handled with a delay that is not in line with the urgency of the request under analysis".

“TICV acted and proceeded in absolute accordance with Cape Verdean civil aviation regulations. On the AAC side, the request for approval of a contract for the temporary entry of an aircraft into operation, with a view to regularizing the inter-island connection, was received in what we consider to be a climate of distrust, slowness and hostility, even though the procedure, by TICV, has been carried out regularly”, says Nuno Pereira, CEO of BestFly World Wide, TICV's majority shareholder.

“We have fulfilled the commitment we made to Cape Verde and to Cape Verdeans. We know how important the inter-island connection is in a country that depends on it for the movement of its citizens and to support its economic activity. And, also for this reason, we sought to guide our action by the duty to foster a relationship of trust and stability with TICV customers. However, we have been operating in a toxic and punitive business environment, which severely conditions our ability to act, despite the continuous investment we have made in domestic connectivity", points out Nuno Pereira who adds that the "context, far from being ideal, has been marked by situations of frank abnormality, which prevent a quick response to the challenges that any air operation faces and which contribute nothing to the economic development of Cape Verde. I suggest that Cape Verdean authorities carry out a proper analysis of how many companies have operated in Cape Verde in the last 10 years. I believe that the result of this analysis should justify a deep reflection on the business environment in the country”.