TACV

Infobox Airline
airline=TACV Cabo Verde Airlines
logo=TACV-Logo.pnglogo_size=200
fleet_size=5
destinations=20
IATA=VR
ICAO=TCV
callsign=CABOVERDE
parent=
founded=1958
headquarters= flagicon|Cape VerdePraia
key_people=
hubs=Sal Airport and Praia International Airport and Sao Pedro Airport
frequent_flyer=TACV Club
focus_cities=Praia International Airport
lounge=
alliance=
website=http://www.flytacv.com

TACV Cabo Verde Airlines is a scheduled and charter, passenger and cargo airline based in Cape Verde. It is the national flag carrier of Cape Verde, operating an inter-island service and flights to Europe, North America, South America and the West African mainland. Its main base is Sal Airport (SID), with a hub at Praia International Airport (RAI) and a hub at Sao Pedro Airport(VXE)). But the Sao Pedro Airport will be replaced by the new Sao Pedro international airport(VXR) in 2008. TACV stands for ""Transportes Aéreos de Cabo Verde" meaning Air Transportation of Cape Verde in Portuguese.

Praia Airport, which was opened to international flights on September 2005, caters mainly to the Cape Verdian diaspora; Sal Airport, which previously handled all international flights, currently serves mainly the tourist industry of Sal Island. In 2008 the Sao Pedro Airport (VXE)on the island Sao Vicente will become the new Sao Pedro international airport (VXR). Its an international airport like Praia and Sal. It will have domestic flights as well as international flights.

The government is currently preparing the airline for privatization. A new Chief Executive Officer, Gilles Filliatraut, from Canada, was appointed in December 2006.

Logo

Its logo includes a blue wing with 7 lines that represent the number of the island in domestic flight. The TACV letters are colored in red and the letter T hovers over the letters ACV.

History

The airline was established in 1958 and is 100% owned by the Cape Verdean government. In July 1975, following independence, the airline was designated as the national carrier and became a public company in 1983. It employs 788 staff.

Destinations

TACV flies to the following destinations (2008):

Domestic

Cape Verde

*Boa Vista (Rabil Airport)
*Fogo (São Filipe Airport)
*Maio (Maio Airport)
*Praia (Praia International Airport) Hub
*Sal (Amílcar Cabral International Airport) Hub
*São Nicolau (Preguiça Airport)
*São Vicente (São Pedro Airport) Hub

Regional

Africa

*Gambia
**Banjul (Banjul International Airport [Code-share with GIA] )
*Guinea-Bissau
**Bissau (Osvaldo Vieiro International Airport) Focus City
*Senegal
**Dakar (Dakar-Yoff-Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport)
*Sierra Leone
**Freetown (Lungi International Airport)

International

Europe

*France
**Paris (Charles de Gaulle International Airport)
**Marseille (Marseille Provence Airport)
*Germany
**Munich (Munich International Airport)
*Italy
**Milan (Malpensa International Airport)
**Rome (Leonardo da Vinci Airport)
*Netherlands
**Amsterdam (Amsterdam Schiphol Airport)
*Poland
**Warsaw (Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport)
*Portugal
**Lisbon (Portela Airport)
**Porto (Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport) [seasonal]
*Russia
**Moscow (Sheremetyevo International Airport [winter 2008]
*Spain
**Canary Islands
***Gran Canaria (Gran Canaria International Airport)
**Madrid (Madrid Barajas International Airport)
*United Kingdom
**London (London Stansted Airport)
**Manchester (Manchester Airport)

North America

*United States
**Boston (Logan International Airport)

South America

*Brazil
**Fortaleza (Pinto Martins International Airport)
**Natal (Augusto Severo International Airport) (begins winter 2008)
**Recife (Guararapes International Airport) [begins 2008]

Two islands are currently not served by domestic flights: Brava and Santo Antão.

Previous Routes and News

*Service from Fortaleza to Sal Island will increase to twice weekly in November 2007.
*Service between Praia International Airport and Munich, Paris, Amsterdam and Boston will increase to twice weekly in Winter 2007.
*TACV lease Travel Service 737-800 Aircraft and will open new destinations as London and Warsaw in Poland to increase tourism in Cape Verde and Fortaleza the new hub in Brazil.
*On October 13, 2007 TACV made a test flight between Amilcar Cabral airport and Rabil airport to conclude the operational certification of the new airport. This was the first operation of a jet (Boeing 757-200 [D4-CBP] ) in Rabil Airport.
*TACV will start operations to the new following destinations as Moscow, Manchester, Marselha and Natal in Brazil.TACV also could open new destinations to for this year to Scandinavian countries, Cabo Verde Airline is waiting for an approval to start non stop flights between Lisbon and Bissau, maybe this flight will begin in March 23 current year.

Codeshares

As of November 2007, TACV Cabo Verde Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

*Air Sénégal International
*Cabo Verde Express
*TAP Portugal
*Gambia International Airlines
*TAAG Angola Airlines

Fleet

The TACV fleet includes the following aircraft (as of 11 September 2008) [http://www.ch-aviation.ch/aircraft.php?search=set&airline=VR&al_op=1] :

External links

* [http://www.tacv.cv/ TACV Cabo Verde Islands]
* [http://www.tacv.de/ TACV (German Site)]
* [http://www.aerotransport.org/php/go.php?q=TACV+Cabo+Verde+Airlines TACV at ATDB: profile, history and events, contacts and management, historical/current/planned aircraft in fleets]
* [http://www.ch-aviation.ch/aircraft.php?search=set&airline=VR&al_op=1 TACV Fleet]
* [http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/TACV.htm TACV Fleet Age]

References

* [http://www.aerotransport.org AeroTransport Data Bank]