The mayor of Porto came to the public today to criticize the plan announced yesterday by TAP for the resumption of part of its flights during the month of June.
“Let us not try for a moment to hide reality. The reality is simple: TAP is trying to impose confinement on Porto and the north ”, said Rui Moreira today at a press conference.
TAP announced on Monday that connections between Porto and Lisbon will increase to three a day in July, with “direct connections from Porto to TAP’s main destination and origin markets from Francisco Sá Carneiro airport” being restored ” , the company announced yesterday, including flights to Paris, Luxembourg and two weekly flights to Madeira.
“In the wake of what has been its history, TAP has never lost the link of being a colonial company and its structure has never thought otherwise,” he added.
Setting the example of 2016, “at a time when TAP was saying that it did not reinforce flights [para o Porto] because there was no market, nine operators appeared ”, including the United route to New York, the reinforcement of Turkish Airlines, and the entry of Emirates.
So, TAP in an “opportunistic way”, and at a time when Porto airport was growing, “TAP came back”. “Now, at a time when the country needs most, TAP is leaving the country. Because being alone in Lisbon means leaving the country. Leave Faro, Funchal, the Azores and the north ”, according to the mayor at a press conference at the Maia Chamber.
“Everything would be more or less acceptable if TAP were a private operator. But it turns out that TAP is not meat or fish. It is a private company when it has to make decisions, and it is a public company when it wants the Portuguese to pay for their vices, created in the ruinous operation in Brazil that brought TAP to the current situation ”, accused Rui Moreira.
The mayor of the invincible city questioned the Government: “What are we going to join TAP for, all Portuguese? State aid is not to solve the pandemic problem, but to solve the problems ”.
“Either it is a private company that does not serve the country, or it is a company owned by the Government that has to be taken with a national strategic asset. If you want a regional company, incorporate TAP into Carris. Don’t make us foolish, ”he said.
Rui Moreira highlighted the contribution of the northern region to the country’s productivity during the pandemic. “This region was the one that most contributed to the growth of national productivity where companies continued to work”.
“If the Government intends to support TAP, demand that TAP return to the same percentage between Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Madeira and the Azores”, he defended.
“TAP cannot be treated as a different entity. Porto, Trás-os-Montes, Douro and Minho, and the northern part of the central region, are also part of the public and Portugal ”, concluded Rui Moreira.
–
