TAP Air Portugal Launches New Service to Florianópolis, Brazil
TAP Air Portugal has strengthened its presence on Europe-Brazil routes by launching a new service to Florianópolis, the capital of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil. This new addition brings TAP’s Brazilian destination count to 13, further solidifying the airline’s leadership in the Europe-Brazil market.
Flights between Lisbon Airport and Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport will operate three times per week, utilizing Airbus A330-200 aircraft. The 5,244-mile (4,557-nautical-mile) route had been under consideration for several years, according to Henri-Charles Ozarovsky, TAP Group Head of Strategy. Ozarovsky credits growing demand and TAP’s codeshare partnerships with Brazilian carriers Azul and GOL as major drivers behind the decision.
“We continuously monitor data from various regions to identify profitable and sustainable routes. When the opportunity arose to expand to Florianópolis, we saw it as a strategic move to leverage existing operations and partnerships,” Ozarovsky explained in an interview with Aviation Week.
This expansion into Florianópolis is not a direct replacement for TAP’s previous route to Porto Alegre, which was suspended earlier this year due to airport disruptions caused by flooding. Ozarovsky emphasized that the decision to launch the new route was part of a broader strategy to grow TAP’s market share in Brazil, rather than a response to the temporary closure of Porto Alegre.
“While the unfortunate events at Porto Alegre presented a challenge, the demand for flights to Florianópolis had been growing independently. We believe this route will not only serve existing demand but also uncover latent potential,” Ozarovsky added.
TAP Air Portugal has not ruled out resuming flights to Porto Alegre once operations normalize at the airport. In the meantime, TAP is planning further growth in Brazil, with flights between Lisbon and Manaus set to resume in November 2024. Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonia, was last served by TAP between June 2014 and February 2016.
An analysis of data from OAG Schedules Analyser shows that the introduction of the Florianópolis route has increased TAP’s capacity to Brazil to over 51,000 two-way nonstop weekly seats, or about 213,600 two-way seats per month. As of September 2024, this gives TAP a commanding 27.9% share of the Europe-Brazil market, surpassing major competitors such as LATAM Airlines Group, which holds a 21.8% share, and Air France-KLM with 13.6%.
Additionally, TAP leads the market in flight frequencies, accounting for 32% of all Europe-Brazil flights in September, ahead of LATAM’s 18%. This frequency advantage is partly due to TAP’s use of smaller A321LR aircraft on routes to Brazilian cities like Belem, Fortaleza, Maceio, Natal, and Recife.
As the Europe-Brazil market continues to expand, the number of scheduled nonstop two-way seats is projected to reach 847,500 in January 2025. This represents an 11% increase from January 2024 and a 16% growth compared to pre-pandemic levels.
While Ozarovsky acknowledges potential risks due to the fluctuating Brazilian real, he maintains that TAP’s disciplined approach to capacity growth will allow the airline to meet demand without oversaturating the market. TAP will continue monitoring the market closely, particularly during the peak travel period leading up to Christmas.