Inventive identity: TAP names regional aircraft after the historic city of Guimarães

TAP Air Portugal has named an aircraft from its regional fleet after the historic city of ‘Guimarães’, the birthplace of Portuguese identity. The city of Guimarães, considered the Cradle City of Portugal, is currently one of the major tourist centres in the north of the country, and was distinguished as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2001.

To mark the naming of “Guimarães”, Portugália’s Embraer 190 (registration number CS-TPZ), a symbolic ceremony was held at the city’s Town Hall, hosted by Mayor, Domingos Bragança, to whom the Managing Director of Portugália, Mário Lobato de Faria gifted a replica model of the aircraft.

This creative initiative from TAP follows on from the ‘Embrace Portugal’ project, introduced in 2017 to celebrate the airline’s anniversary. TAP is thus extending Portugália’s fleet originally named after the 18 districts and the two autonomous regions of Portugal to new regions, reinforcing TAP’s priority to leverage the country and its culture.

In each naming ceremony, TAP has  aimed to promote each region and their intrinsic cultures, gastronomy and heritage, as well as strengthening the relationship and position of Portugal and its people with the world.

Portugália flies under the TAP Express brand on short and medium-haul flights and currently operates  a fleet of 19 aircraft – 12 Embraer 190s, with capacity for 106 passengers, and seven Embraer 195s, with capacity for 118 passengers.

The Embraer 190 and 195 added to the Company’s regional fleet represent a major growth in available seats and a savings in fuel consumption. As a member of Star Alliance since 2005, TAP offers customers seamless connections through its Lisbon hub to destinations around the world. It operates from three UK destinations – London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Manchester – as well as offering flights from the Irish capital, Dublin.

The airline, which boasts one of the youngest fleets in Europe, has a mix of short-haul and long-haul Airbus aircraft including the A330neo and A321neoLR, as well as operating a fleet of ATR and Embraer aircraft for short hops through its regional carrier Portugalia.