Luanda - The ambassador of Spain in Angola, Manuel Lajarreta, said Monday in Spain that the direct Luanda-Madrid flight route was another step towards boosting cooperation relations between the two countries.
On board the inaugural flight linking Angola and Spain, operated by national flagship airline TAAG, the Spanish diplomat said that, as well as strengthening political ties, the air route would make it possible to boost commercial, business, cultural, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.
According to the diplomat, this historic moment was the result of a visit by the Spanish prime minister, to Angola, and by President Lourenço to the Kingdom of Spain, in 2021, where they stated the strategic need to strengthen relations between the two countries.
On the operation of this route, with two flights per week (Thursday and Sunday), the ambassador also said it was an alternative for passenger traffic, not only from Angola, but also citizens of Central Africa, with the benefit of a connection to more than 143 destinations between Europe and South and North America.
In his turn, Rui Carreira, TAAG's non-executive director, said that opening up this route represented the adaptation of the national flag carrier, in light of the constant changes that the civil aviation system has undergone in recent years, particularly since the appearance of Covid-19 in the world.
In this context, he explained, TAAG is and needs to adapt to the current global civil aviation market, to continue to maintain itself and avoid its disappearance, like the more than 500 that did not withstand the shocks of the pandemic.
Briefly, António Pimentel, representative of Iberia, one of the Spanish airlines, said that this partnership with TAAG brings countless advantages for both peoples.
At the time, Angola's ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain, José Luís de Matos, hoped that this route would soon produce the best results, as Angola has an emerging economy and a very attractive business environment.
Alexandrina Neto, deputy director of the Tourism Promotion Institute (Infortur), believes that the route will attract more tourists from both sides, as it will be a hub for 160 destinations, be it Europe, Angola or Africa.
