Number of passengers transported by TAP in Cape Verde grew by 65% in 2022 to 385 thousand

The Portuguese airline TAP transported to and from Cape Verde almost 385 thousand passengers in 2022, 65% more than the previous year, according to data from the state company ASA, which manages Cape Verdean airports, compiled today by Lusa.

According to the annual report on passenger movement at the archipelago's four international airports, the number of passengers grew from 542,488 in 2021 to 1,683,160 in 2022, an increase of 210%.

The Portuguese airline TAP, which in 2021 had guaranteed almost half of the passengers handled on international flights to and from the archipelago, carried 384,399 passengers last year, against 233,799 in the previous year, remaining in the lead among regular career operators in Cape Verde.

Of these, 171,579 passengers were registered to and from Nelson Mandela International Airport, in the Cape Verdean capital, with TAP even registering a share of the total movement in excess of 55%. TAP also led at Cesária Évora International Airport, on the island of São Vicente, with 79,287 passengers handled and a share of 74.1%, coming second at Amílcar Cabral International Airport, on the island of Sal, with 113,043 passengers and a share of 12.8%.

On the island of Boa Vista, TAP handled 20,490 passengers, occupying sixth place, with a share of 5.4%.

“At all airports, the vast majority of international operators already operate as in 2019, some even with more traffic than in 2019”, refers to the ASA report.

ASA also identifies that Cabo Verde Airlines, a company renationalized in July 2021 and which progressively resumed operations at the end of that year, transported 9,708 passengers to and from São Vicente airport (9.1% share) and 22,931 to the Praia airport (7.4% share).

“During 2022, more than two million passengers [including domestic flights] moved through Cape Verde airports, representing more than double the movements, compared to the 830,000 passengers transported in the same period of 2021”, he adds. up in the ASA report.

The movement of passengers at airports also recognizes the state-owned company, "it has gradually increased, having at the end of the year registered a volume of international passengers close to the values of the year 2019".

At an international level, the airports of Sal and Boa Vista, the two most tourist islands in Cape Verde, “already lead in the number of passengers handled, clear signs of the recovery of tourism, having handled around 883 thousand and 382 thousand passengers, respectively. ”.

“The main European destinations have been resumed, being operated by the leading companies (TUI and TAP), taking big steps towards the numbers reached in 2019, before the suspension of activities at airports in early 2020”, the document also points out.

In 2022, the Cape Verdean Government awarded the concession of the country's airports and airfields - currently in charge of the public company ASA - to the company Vinci Airports SAS, for a period of 40 years, in a deal in which the State will receive 80 million euros , in addition to gross income bonuses.

ANA - Aeroportos de Portugal will hold 30% of the shares in the Cape Verdean company created to sign the concession contract, which has not yet been taken over by the French multinational.

Photo: PlaneCatcher