Luanda – TAAG (Angola Airlines) and Spanish airline IBERIA signed an agreement called “codeshare – interline” to strengthen connections between Africa and Europe, with the Luanda-Madrid-Luanda route as the main axis.
According to a press release issued by the company, which ANGOP received today, the agreement was signed in Madrid, capital of Spain, in the framework of TAAG’s new route, which opens on June 27, with the objective of establishing connections to dozens of countries between the African continent and Europe.
The “codeshare and interline” agreement allows TAAG passengers departing from Luanda and arriving in Madrid to access, with a single ticket, the entire IBERIA network, namely in Europe, the Americas (south and north), to 143 destinations in 43 countries.
Likewise, explains the document, IBERIA passengers departing from Europe and Madrid, arriving in Luanda, will have access to the network of national and international destinations of TAAG, Angola’s official airline.
Codeshare is an agreement in which two or more airlines share the same flight, the same service standards and sales channels, the same routes and the same airspace.
Thus, Luanda becomes a hub – concentrating connections to multiple geographies, and TAAG will now offer 10 international destinations. In Africa, it will fly to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Windhoek, Maputo, Kinshasa, Lagos and Sao Tome, in Europe, Lisbon and Madrid, and in South America, the city of Sao Paulo.
The operator also clarifies in the same press release that IBERIA and TAAG passengers will mutually benefit from the network of international destinations, and from Spain’s perspective, the (re)entry into the African market is strategic, since the Spanish company flies to 134 destinations in 43 countries.
TAAG will have two weekly flights between Luanda and Madrid, operated by a Boeing 777-300ER with a capacity of 293 seats, 12 in business plus class, 56 in standard business class and 225 in economy class.
On the occasion, highlights the document, the CEO, Eduardo Fairen Soria, said that the TAAG-IBERIA partnership will strengthen ties, encourage opportunities and exchanges in the economic, cultural and tourism fields.
(…) In the ECP’s view, this partnership will allow leveraging the Africa-Europe connection and expand TAAG’s route and destination portfolio, positioning Luanda as a relevant hub in the Southern African region.
On the other hand, Javier Sánchez-Prieto, PCE of IBERIA, considered that the codeshare and interline agreement will not only further unite the two countries, but will also open several windows of opportunity for the trade and tourism segment.
The document highlights that despite the pandemic context, which deeply affected the aviation sector on a global scale, this initiative by TAAG shows great resilience and sense of opportunity.
The act was witnessed by the Minister of Transport, Ricardo D’Abreu, and the Ambassador of Angola in the Kingdom of Spain, José Agostinho.
About IBERIA
IBERIA is Spain’s largest carrier and market leader with operations in Europe and Latin America.
The entity belongs to the IAG Aviation Group and is part of the Oneworld alliance. Together with IBERIA Express and IBERIA Regional Air Nostrum, it offers flights to some 50 countries from its hub at Madrid-Barajas airport.
In addition to passenger transport, IBERIA has diversified its portfolio of services to air cargo transport, maintenance and airport assistance.
About TAAG
TAAG – Angola Airlines – was founded in 1938 and is based in Luanda, the capital city.
For over 80 years TAAG has been connecting Angolans through domestic and international connections.
TAAG is a globally recognized leader in Angola’s aviation market with sustained growth, currently offering 14 domestic and 10 international destinations.
In addition to passenger transport, its fleet also carries cargo, a service that is increasingly essential for the development of the local ecosystem.
Source: Angola Press News Agency