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Portugália Airlines is a Portuguese regional airline with its head office on the grounds of Lisbon Portela Airport[1] in Lisbon. It is a subsidiary of TAP Air Portugal and operates scheduled international and domestic services from its bases at Lisbon Airport and Porto Airport on behalf of TAP Express. It will be merged into TAP Portugal during 2022.[2]

Portugália Airlines

IATA ICAO Callsign NI PGA Air Portugal
Founded	25 July 1988; 34 years ago (1988-07-25)
Commenced operations	7 July 1990; 32 years ago (1990-07-07)
Hubs	Lisbon Airport
Focus cities	Porto Airport
Frequent-flyer program	Miles and Go
Fleet size	13
Parent company	TAP Air Portugal
Website	portugalia-airlines.pt

History

Early years

The airline was established on 25 July 1988 as a joint-stock company, but had to wait two years before it could start services, due to a delay in air transport liberalization. It started operations on 7 July 1990 with a flight from Lisbon to Porto. It also flew from Lisbon to Faro that same day. It started operations with scheduled domestic and international charter flights, as scheduled international flights were not then permitted under Portuguese legislation. International scheduled flights started in June 1992 from Lisbon and Porto.

The company's first airplanes were Fokker 100, and since the late 1990s it has also purchased 8 Embraer 145, becoming the main competitor of state flag carrier TAP Air Portugal. Operating in the regional market, Portugália focused its operation in domestic routes, as well as on destinations in Spain, France, Italy, Germany and Morocco.

The company's fleet stabilized in 2000 with 14 aircraft (6 Fokker 100 and 8 Embraer 145) still operating today. Portugália developed its own maintenance services since its earliest days, however it only managed to have its own Hangar and to increase its base maintenance capabilities as of 2005 with the opening of its Hangar at Lisbon Portela Airport. Performing most of its Fokker and Embraer maintenance in house, Portugália managed to significantly improve its results.

Portugália received the title of Best Regional Airline in Europe, in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, the Skytrax Award for Best Cabin Staff in Europe, in 2005 and 2006, and for Best Cabin Staff in Southern Europe, in 2007.[3]

Integration into TAP Air Portugal Group

On 6 November 2006, TAP and Portugalia owners Grupo Espirito Santo, announced TAP's acquisition of 99.81% of Portugalia shares, subject to approval by the regulatory authorities. It had 750 employees (at March 2007). Portugalia was to join the SkyTeam Alliance in 2008.

With the acquisition by TAP Air Portugal Group it undertakes a new business model. The company stops working independently and starts working within a group logic as a supplier of flight capacity by hiring its aircraft to TAP Air Portugal. Fernando Pinto, president & CEO of TAP Air Portugal said that the airline's regional subsidiary, Portugália Airlines, is "important to the TAP results as it brings very important passengers from small cities to long distance services.", during European Regional Airlines Association 2012 conference in Porto.

On 21 March 2014, TAP Air Portugal announced that it would buy two ATR 42-600 for its subsidiary company Portugália replacing the smaller Beechcraft 1900D previously operated by PGA Express. However, White Airways now operates the ATRs family on behalf of TAP Air Portugal instead of Portugália.

Rebranding to TAP Express

On 14 January 2016, TAP Air Portugal announced that Portugália would be rebranded as TAP Express as of 27 March 2016 as part of the restructuring measures within the group. The company Portugália Airlines however was said to stay independent within the group.

On the same day, TAP Air Portugal also announced that the entire Portugália fleet consisting of Fokker 100 and Embraer ERJ-145 would be replaced by July 2016 with new Embraer 190 and ATR 72-600 aircraft (the latter operated by White Airways on behalf of TAP) which received a livery similar to that of TAP Air Portugal albeit wearing Express titles.

In April 2022, it has been announced that Portugalia will be dissolved and fully integrated into TAP Portugal as part of cost cutting and restructuring measures.[2]

Destinations

Portugália operates within the route network of TAP Express.

References

На других языках

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[de] Portugália Airlines

Portugália Airlines, eigentlich Portugália Companhia Portuguesa de Transportes Aereos SAA oder kurz PGA, ab Juni 2016 unter der Marke TAP Express, ist eine portugiesische Regionalfluggesellschaft mit Sitz in Lissabon und Basis auf dem Flughafen Humberto Delgado Lissabon. Sie ist ein Tochterunternehmen der TAP Portugal, für die sie Flüge durchführt.

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- [en] Portugália Airlines

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[es] Portugália

PGA - Portugália Airlines (Companhia Portuguesa de Transportes Aéreos S.A.), más conocida como Portugália era una aerolínea regional con base en Lisboa, Portugal, adquirida en 2007 por TAP Air Portugal. La aerolínea operaba vuelos regulares internacionales y domésticos desde Lisboa y Oporto, además de vuelos chárter a España, Francia, Italia, Alemania, Reino Unido y Bélgica. Su principal base era el Aeropuerto de Portela, Lisboa, con un centro de conexión en el Aeropuerto de Oporto (IATA: OPO).

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[fr] TAP Express

TAP Express, anciennement PGA ou Portugália Airlines, (code AITA : TP ; code OACI : PGA) est une compagnie aérienne portugaise. Elle fait partie du groupe TAP et assure des vols pour sa société mère.

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[it] Portugália

Portugália Airlines è una compagnia aerea regionale portoghese con sede a Lisbona, presso l'Aeroporto di Lisbona-Portela.[1] È una sussidiaria di TAP Air Portugal e gestisce servizi di linea internazionali e nazionali dalle sue basi di Lisbona e Porto per conto di TAP Express.

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[ru] Portugália

Companhia Portuguesa de Transportes Aereos SA, действующая как Portugália, — региональная авиакомпания Португалии со штаб-квартирой в городе Лиссабон, является дочерним подразделением национального авиаперевозчика страны TAP Portugal. Выполняет регулярные и чартерные из аэропортов Лиссабона и Порту по внутренним и международным направлениям в страны Европейского Союза[1].

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