NEW YORK, Dec. 21, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TAP Air Portugal continues to expand its European network with the addition of daily service to one of Italy’s most romantic destinations, Florence, from June 10, 2018. TAP was named Best Airline in Europe, for the seventh consecutive year, on December 12 by the readers of Global Traveler Magazine.
Florence will be TAP’s fifth Italian destination served from Lisbon, joining Rome, Bologna, Milan and Venice. Each Italian destination, along with TAP’s entire European and African route network, may be coupled with up to five days’ stopover in Portugal when flying from the United States, Canada or Brazil. More than half of TAP’s U.S. passenger traffic continues beyond Lisbon, on to Europe or Africa, and Italy is one of the most popular final destinations.
TAP will fly 10 round-trip flights each week between Lisbon and Florence, on the schedule below:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday
| Departs Lisbon | Arrives Florence | |
| 7:05am | 10:50am | |
| Departs Florence | Arrives Lisbon | |
| 11:35am | 1:35pm | |
Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday
| Departs Lisbon | Arrives Florence | |
| 7:05am | 10:50am | |
| 3:50pm | 7:35pm | |
| Departs Florence | Arrives Lisbon | |
| 11:35am | 1:35pm | |
| 8:20pm | 10:20pm | |
TAP also will grow its operations from Porto airport in 2018, introducing a total of 41 new flights per week between to four new destinations.
TAP will add six flights per week from Porto to London City airport and a new daily service to Ponta Delgada in Portugal’s Azores, starting on March 25.
The new flights a week will depart Porto’s Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport at 12:05pm (TP354), arriving in London at 2:20pm, with the return flight leaving London at 2:50pm (TP353), arriving in Porto at 5:10pm.
The new daily flight from Porto to Ponta Delgada (TP1861) will depart Porto at 1:20pm, arriving in Ponta Delgada at 2:45pm. The return flight (TP1866) will take off at 3:35pm, landing in Porto at 6:50pm.
Finally, the airline also has re-instated two flights a day to Barcelona and to Milan, which had been suspended in 2016.
The two daily flights to Barcelona will depart Porto at 6:30am (TP1030) and 7:35pm (TP1031) and, to Milan, departing Porto at 6:30am (TP818) and 5:55pm (TP816).
"In additional to TAP’s Best Airline in Europe win, Portugal also was just named Destination of the Year at the World Travel Awards, the first time a European destination has claimed that title," said David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue Airways and investor in TAP Air Portugal. “We’re seeing a huge increase in US travelers to Portugal and now, with our Portugal Stopover program, travelers can enjoy up to five nights in Lisbon on the way to Florence for no additional airfare.”
Travel for the new Florence service is on sale now, via www.flytap.com. The new service from Porto will be on sale once operational details have been finalized.
About TAP Air Portugal
TAP is Portugal’s leading airline and a member of the global airline Star Alliance since 2005. Flying since 1945, TAP celebrated its 70th anniversary on March 14, 2015, before completing its privatization process later that year, now with the Atlantic Gateway Group as private shareholders.
As of Summer 2017, TAP’s network comprises 84 destinations in 34 countries worldwide. The airline currently operates around 2,500 weekly flights, with a modern fleet of 63 Airbus aircraft. TAP Express, the airline’s regional arm, operates an additional 17 aircraft.
With TAP’s privatization process, it has restructured its network, launched new fare products and is renewing its medium and long-haul fleet. TAP has 53 Airbus neo aircraft on order and, by 2020, it’s long-haul fleet will either have been replaced with new aircraft or newly reconfigured aircraft. TAP Express now operates a new fleet of 8 ATR 72 and 9 Embraer 190.
TAP is one of Europe’s most awarded airlines. Global Traveler (USA) named TAP as Best Airline in Europe for seven consecutive years, from 2011 to 2017, and the World Travel Awards named TAP as both Europe’s Leading Airline to Africa and Europe’s Leading Airline to South America from 2014 – 2017. Previously TAP was awarded World’s Leading Airline to Africa, in 2011 and 2012, and World’s Leading Airline to South America from 2009 through 2012. TAP’s Inflight Magazine, UP, received the World Travel Award as Europe’s Leading In-flight Magazine for 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Media contact:
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