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  TAP Air Portugal

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  TP/TAP

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Lisbon Airport

  Year Founded:

  1945

  Alliance:

  Star Alliance

  CEO:

  Christine Ourmières-Widener

  Country:

  Portugal

An Airbus A320neo belonging to TAP Air Portugal collided with a motorcycle shortly after landing in Conakry (CKY) from Lisbon (LIS). The incident took place on Thursday night, and sadly resulted in the deaths of the motorcycle’s two riders.

Flight TP1492 landed on runway 24 at Conakry’s Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport at around 23:40. While the aircraft was still on the runway, its right engine collided with a motorcycle that was crossing the runway at that time. Both riders on the motorcycle were unfortunately killed, and the driver is believed to have been identified as a security officer at the airport.

While the aircraft’s engine suffered significant damage, there were no reported injuries among the passengers and crew onboard. The return leg to Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport, flight TP1493, was subsequently canceled, and the aircraft remains on the ground in Conakry.

Investigation into the incident

The Civil Aviation Authority of Guinea (AGAC) will now commence an investigation into the incident, with the support of the airport’s safety and security department. Both TAP Air Portugal and the airport expressed their condolences to the families of those involved.

In a statement, TAP Air Portugal said,

“Passengers and crew are all fine. All safety procedures were followed, but even so, it was not possible to avoid the accident. TAP is naturally collaborating with the local authorities to investigate the circumstances that led to this regrettable situation."

TAP Air Portugal and the Airbus A320

According to ch-aviation.com, the Airbus A320neo involved in Thursday’s collision, CS-TVI, was delivered to TAP Air Portugal in April 2021, making it 1.5 years old. The aircraft seats a total of 174 passengers – 102 in economy class, with a seat pitch of 28 inches, and 72 in economy comfort, with a seat pitch of 33 inches.

TAP Air Portugal currently has 11 Airbus A320neos in its fleet, with a further four on order. The average age of the airline’s Airbus A320neos is 2.8 years, compared to 16.8 years for its 15 Airbus A320ceos.

Discover more of the latest aviation news here.

The Portuguese flag carrier flies its fleet of Airbus A320s on short and medium-haul routes. According to FlightRadar24.com, prior to its flight to Conakry on Thursday, CS-TVI had spent the night in Porto (OPO). It then operated the airline’s early morning flight to Lisbon, before flying to Sal (SID) in Cape Verde and back.

TAP Air Portugal’s long-haul routes are operated by the Airbus A330. The airline became the launch customer for the Airbus A330-900 in November 2018, and it now has 19 of the type in its fleet, with two on order.

Conakry’s Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport was the scene of another incident earlier this week, when an Airbus A330-200 belonging to Turkish Airlines encountered severe turbulence shortly before landing, leading to the hospitalization of five passengers.

Have you flown on TAP Air Portugal? Share your experiences by commenting below.