In yet another move that could position it well in the ‘race’ to purchase 44.9% of TAP, German airline Lufthansa has announced an increase in the number of flights it is operating in and out of Portugal, as a result of the upheavals caused by the war in the Middle East.
As reports today explain, the demand for safe destinations in Europe is snowballing as people are desperate to spend holidays in the sun, but no longer feel comfortable too far east: Portugal is thus a perfect choice. In fact, Turkey’s losses appear to be Portugal’s gains.
Other destinations, like Egypt and Cyprus, are also seeing demand tailing off. Thus, Lufthansa is adding another 540 routes to its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich, for the April – October period, “serving touristic destinations in southern Europe as much as various destinations in the north”, says the airline, adding that “among others, capacity for the Iberian Peninsula, Greece and Italy are being significantly expanded”.
Lufthansa is one of three airline ‘giants’ interested in the government’s long-overdue reprivatisation of TAP – and it has already made significant investments in Portugal, with the pledge to go even further.
Source material: Jornal Económico
