The Algarve Tourism Region (RTA) and AMAL – Algarve Intermunicipal Community joined together to contest the routes announced by TAP for the next two months as they do not serve “the main national tourist destination”.
“Before the pandemic, the country's alleged flagship airline only operated three daily flights from Lisbon to Faro, on a shy air bridge with the hub national. When the pandemic broke out in Europe, TAP was quick to supply the already reduced connections to the International Airport of Faro and, according to the plan now presented, the resumption of activity to the Algarve will be very slow, with only two daily connections in July», defend João Fernandes, president of RTA, and António Miguel Pina, leader of AMAL.
For the presidents of Algarve Tourism and the Algarve Intermunicipal Community, the plan to resume part of the operation, announced this Monday by TAP, “does not serve the Algarve, nor does it follow the example of global airlines, which announced a recovery more robust operation for the region”.
The two leaders cite, for example, the Edelweiss companies (with first commercial flight Zurich-Faro on 28 May), Luxair Tours (flight Luxembourg-Faro on May 31st) or Transavia Netherlands (with operation Amsterdam-Faro from June 4th).
«Fortunately, the Algarve has been highlighted by the interest it generates in airlines and tour operators abroad», as is the Lufthansa's case, which will resume flights to 20 worldwide destinations from mid-June, including Faro, but that does not “invalidate the fact that the airline that claims to be national continues to disregard the Algarve in its plans, when this is the country's biggest holiday destination”, they conclude.
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