TAP celebrates 75 years of flights to São Tomé and Príncipe

This week, TAP Air Portugal celebrated the 75th anniversary of its first flight to the island of São Tomé. To mark the occasion, celebrations were held both at the boarding gates of Humberto Delgado Airport and at São Tomé International Airport.

In Lisbon, passengers received chocolate cakes from São Tomé and a postcard with an image of the first flight, numbered TP522.

The inaugural flight in 1949 was piloted by Captain Canelhas who flew a DC-3 Dakota aircraft – registration CS-TDE – one of TAP’s first aircraft.

The same aircraft also operated the famous Imperial Air Line, which connected Lisbon to Angola and Mozambique. It carried 28 passengers in a crossing with 12 stops that lasted 15 days.

TAP, one of only two European airlines flying to São Tomé, providing easy access from London, Manchester and Dublin to the so-called “African Galapagos”. Return fares from London start at £901, including all taxes and charges.

Popular with Portuguese tourists, but nearly untouched by British travellers, the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe are awe-inspiring, with rare endemic flora and fauna, dramatic landscapes and a unique culture that blends Portuguese and West African influences.

São Tomé is just one of many unique routes serviced by the airline, with TAP notably flying to 12 destinations in Brazil, more than any other European airline.

Today, TAP makes the TP1527 connection between Lisbon and São Tomé five times a week. The service is operated using a modern A321LRneo with 168 seats, including 16 business class, that can be fully converted into a bed.

Each seat has a 16-inch screen, giving passengers access to more than 120 movies, 170 music albums and over 230 hours of TV series.