While it may feel like it is all doom-and-gloom in the aviation industry of late, there are still those who look optimistically towards the future. Portuguese flag carrier TAP Air Portugal has decided to load three new long-haul routes, all set to begin later this year. 

Cape Town, Cancun and Toronto

TAP, the national airline of Portugal, is going against current trends and has decided to load three new long-haul routes, all planned to be inaugurated during 2020. As reported by One Mile At A Time, the Lisbon-based carrier intends to launch new flights from Portugal to Cape Town, Cancun, and Toronto. 

In a video posted to TAP's Twitter account last week, the airline says that even though it is time to stop for a while, it will still continue to plan ahead.

Lisbon to Cape Town

Furthest into the future of these new flights is the three-weekly direct Lisbon to Cape Town, South Africa, set to commence on the 11th of November. TAP will operate its new Airbus A330-900neo on the route with the following schedule:

• TP275 Lisbon to Cape Town departing 10:30 arriving 23:40  - Sun, Wed, Fri
• TP276 Cape Town to Lisbon departing 2:05 arriving 11:30 - Mon, Thu, Sat

Lisbon to Cancun

Exciting for European travelers that have been wishing for easier ways to Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, is the addition of a nonstop Lisbon to Cancun flight. Also operating on a three-weekly schedule and with A330-900neo aircraft, it will be the airline’s first route to Mexico. It is set to launch on the 27th of October, according to this schedule: 

• TP176 Lisbon to Cancun departing 9:35 arriving 15:00 - Tue, Thu, Sat
• TP177 Cancun to Lisbon departing 16:30 arriving 6:30 (+1 day) - Tue, Thu Sat

Azores to Toronto

Finally, from the 25t of June, TAP is intending to commence a nonstop route from Ponta Delgada on the Azores Islands in the Atlantic to Toronto, Canada. This is the second Azores to North America direct route TAP is planning. Hoping perhaps for a larger share of the lucrative market created by the growing popularity of the Azores as a travel destination. The flight will be operated twice a week on narrowbody A321LR. 

• TP261 Ponta Delgada to Toronto departing 15:40 arriving 18:30 - Sun, Thu
• TP258 Toronto to Ponta Delgada departing 21:25 arriving 7:20 (+1 day) - Sun, Thu

TAP was already set to launch one new North American route from Ponta Delgada on the Azores, a five-weekly flight to Boston, on the 4th of June this summer. What this will mean for the TAP and Azores Airlines cooperation remains to be seen. 

#wewillflyagain

Even though the launching of new flights in June may seem like an overoptimistic time-line at the moment, this is something to look forward to. Let us all hope that TAP’s new slogan, #wewillflyagain, will come true sooner rather than later. 

Is TAP crazy to be planning new flights at a time like this, or do you think they are right to be optimistic? Will you be traveling any of these routes once we are able to move freely again? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!