TAP Portugal Adds New Service to Abidjan on the Iv

NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TAP Portugal will commence five weekly flights to Abidjan, in Ivory Coast, starting July 17 ^th  this year.   Abidjan is the seventh new destination to be added to TAP’s global network in 2017, including Toronto, Stuttgart, Gran Canaria, Alicante, Bucharest and Budapest.  

Nonstop service between Lisbon and Abidjan will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, on A320 aircraft.  The flights depart from Lisbon at 5:25pm and return from Abidjan at 11:00pm. In winter, the schedule will reduce to four weekly flights.

Low fares from the U.S. include $913 round-trip from New York’s John F Kennedy International, Newark, Boston and Miami, for travel between September 1 and October 31, 2017.   For Canadians, round-trip travel from Toronto Pearson International starts at CAD $1,267 for the same dates.

All of TAP’s fares beyond Lisbon, including Abidjan, include a stopover of up to three days in Portugal for no extra airfare.  The Stopover booking option is available in flight search mode on TAP’s website ( www.flytap.com )  or through the TAP Stopover app, available from the Apple Store or Google Play, which provide passengers with a virtual ID card to be used for travel benefits.  

In addition to great fares, TAP’s Stopover program includes hotel discounts and other added benefits such a free bottle of Portuguese wine in restaurants and value-added experiences, such as tuk-tuk rides, visits to museums, dolphin watching in the River Sado and food tastings.  The app also incorporates a travel guide and enables customers to share their experiences with friends and family through social media.  

The Abidjan International Airport receives 2 million passengers annually, from more than 20 airlines, and offers connections to 35 destinations, throughout Africa and the Middle-East.

A tropical destination, Ivory Coast offers popular beach resorts in Assinie and Grand-Bassam, and incredible architecture such as St. Paul's Cathedral in Abidjan and the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, in Yamoussoukro, the country’s capital.

The addition of Abidjan to TAP’s global network increases the airline’s African route network to comprise 15 destinations in 10 countries.

About TAP Portugal

TAP is Portugal’s leading airline, and member of Star Alliance, the global airline alliance to offer customers worldwide reach, since 2005. In operation since 1945, TAP celebrated 70 years on March 14, 2015, and completed its privatization process in 2015, with the Atlantic Gateway Group now as new private shareholders of its share capital. TAP hub in Lisbon is a key European gateway at the crossroads of Africa, North, Central and South America, where TAP stands out as the international leading carrier in operation to Brazil. During the current IATA Summer period, the company’s network will comprise 76 destinations in 29 countries worldwide. TAP currently operates about 2,500 weekly flights in average on a modern fleet of 61 Airbus aircraft and 17 aircraft operating in TAP Express livery, TAP regional branded product, adding up to a 78 aircraft fleet. As of  June 2016, the company took delivery of two additional A330s, thus increasing its fleet to 80 aircraft in total. Within the vast restructure program currently going across the company as the outcome of its privatization process, TAP has announced its Network restructure, its medium and long haul fleet renewal program as of 2017 and the retrofit of the fleet currently in operation as well as the launch of the new branded product TAP Express, which replaces PGA and operates a new fleet of 8 ATR 72 and 9   Embraer 190. In the pursuit of its customer-focused policy, TAP continuously invests to deliver safe, reliable and upgraded products & services, tailored to meet customers’ expectations. Retaining the Portuguese character of the Company’s brand and quality service as the basic concept has been the main driver of TAP strategy in most recent years. Recognized and awarded as the Europe’s Leading Airline to Africa as well as Europe’s Leading Airline to South America by the World Travel Awards in 2015 and 2014, the company was also awarded as the WTA World’s Leading Airline to Africa in 2011 and 2012 and the WTA World’s Leading Airline to South America in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Voted Best Airline in Europe in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and again in 2016 by the Global Traveler, USA, the company was also honored by UNESCO and by the International Union of Geological Sciences with the IYPE “Planet Earth Award 2010”, in the category of “Most Innovative Sustainable Product”. TAP was also voted Best Airline by Condé Nast Traveller Magazine in 2010, Best Portuguese Tourism Company by the specialized magazine Marketeer, in 2011 and also the airline with Best Reputation by the Reputation Institute in 2014, while its Inflight Magazine UP was voted Best European Inflight Magazine by the WTA awards in 2015 .

For further information ,  please go to   www.flytap.com .

Media contact: Gareth Edmondson-Jones GEJ, Ink 917 399-9355 GEJink@gmail.com