Airbus Updates No.3111

 TAP Air Portugal Flies First Cancun Flight With An Airbus A330neo

Portuguese national flag carrier TAP Air Portugal has completed its first flight between Lisbon and the Carribean resort of Cancun using an Airbus A330neo. Previously the Lisbon Portela Airport (LIS)-based full-service carrier had planned to begin its Cancun service to coincide with the 2020-2021 winter season.

TAP was supposed to start flying to Cancun last year. Photo: TAP

Located on the northeast coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, close to the Tropic of Cancer, Cancun is a popular destination for American and Canadian vacationers looking for some winter sunshine. By operating a non-stop flight from Europe, TAP was hoping to entice Europeans to sample Cancun’s white sandy beaches and pulsating nightlife.

The flights we supposed to start last winter

In September 2020, ahead of its first flight to Cancun and other new destinations, TAP revised its Mexico launch due to European COVID-19 rules. The first-ever TAP Air Portugal flight to Mexico departed Lisbon on Saturday, March 27, 2021.

TAP Air Portugal will place one of its new widebody Airbus A330neos on the route with flights scheduled for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as flight number TP176. The flights will depart Lisbon Portela Airport at 11:45 and arrive at Cancun International Airport (CUN) at 04:10, a flight time of around 10 hours. The return journey flight number TP177 will operate on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, departing CUN at 19:30 and arriving at LIS at 10:30 the next day, a flight time of around nine hours.

TAP is putting an Airbus A330neo on the route

On the new route will be a 1.3-year-old Airbus A330-900 featuring 34 fully flat business class seats, 96 economy plus class seats (with an additional 3 inches of legroom), and 168 economy class seats. Airbus says that its new cabin design offers passengers more personal space, larger overhead bins, advanced cabin lighting, and the latest inflight entertainment and Internet connectivity.

When speaking about TAP Air Portugal adding Cancun to its network Vice President of Sales for America Carlos Paneiro is quoted by Mexican tourist news website REPORTUR.mx as saying:

It is always very exciting to add new routes to countries that we have never served before. But it is particularly gratifying to increase our route network this year at a time when the airline industry has been reducing service. We see many opportunities for clients from Mexico to visit Portugal and fly to the rest of Europe and Africa with a stopover in Lisbon. ”

While the obvious historical and cultural attractions in Lisbon and Porto will appeal to Mexican tourists, TAP Air Portugal’s best in the world stopover program makes a  break in either city an affordable reality. The Cancun to Lisbon flight will also allow passengers to connect on TAP flights to the rest of Europe and parts of Africa.

While the summer is a good time for Mexican tourists to visit Europe, the same cannot be said for Europeans looking to go the other way. This is why TAP Air Portugal originally wanted to commence the flights for winter 2020/2021. What we have not figured into the equation, though, is the current COVID-19 restriction and what they will mean for travel to Europe.

COVID-19 could determine the route’s success

Currently, Portugal is in a state of emergency, declared until 15 April. Arriving passengers have to have a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken no longer than 72 hours before arriving in Portugal. The same cannot be said for Mexico, with the government not requiring any PCR test or proof of vaccination.

Summer is the low-season in Cancun, with plenty of deals to be found at beachfront resort hotels. Combines these two things and the fact that Mexico is an inexpensive place to vacation, and you now have a reason for the non-stop flights. The big question, and the one we cannot answer yet, is the situation regarding coronavirus restrictions over the coming months.

Airbus Updates No.3076

 Uganda Airlines Secures Morning Landing Slot At London Heathrow

Uganda Airlines has secured an early morning landing slot at London Heathrow Airport. The flight from Entebbe will land in Heathrow at 06:00 AM, a prime time for business travelers and considered one of the most coveted slots at the airport. Uganda will fly its brand new Airbus A330neo on the route.

Uganda Airlines will fly the rare A330-800neo on its new, prized Heathrow slot. Photo: Airbus

New slot

According to Daily Monitor, Uganda Airlines has secured a new slot at London Heathrow, flying five times a week from Entebbe. The slot comes into effect from the start of the summer season on March 28th, but the airline is yet to receive certification for its new Airbus A330-800neo.

Notably, Uganda Airlines has secured a prime slot at Heathrow: an early morning arrival. The popularity of early morning slots cannot be overstated, with Oman Air buying a 05:30 AM arrival slot for a record $75 million in 2016.

Uganda has managed to secure a 06:00 AM arrival into Heathrow (leaving at 09:00 AM) without purchasing the slot from another airline, according to Business Daily. This is a remarkable feat given how young the airline is (less than two years old) and considering it only received its first widebody a few months ago. Moreover, it highlights how sharply demand for slots has fallen at Heathrow.

Early morning slots at slot-restricted airports like Heathrow are coveted by airlines since they cater perfectly to business travelers. Photo: Heathrow Airport

Once Uganda’s shiny new A330neos are certified by its regulators and the UK lifts its ban on non-essential travel, the airline will begin flights to London. According to a spokesperson for the airline, it plans to start flight at some time in May, saying,

“The aircraft are not yet certified by the regulator but we are hoping to have completed that process by the end of April. If the UK relaxes travel restrictions, we should be ready to launch London sometime in May.”

Opportunity

For Uganda Airlines, the A330neo is a chance to expand beyond Africa and become a major international airline. In addition to London, the carrier plans to launch flights to Dubai and has secured rights for six weekly flights. While demand will dictate the final schedule for the short term, the airline has its eye on more locations.

The next destinations for the airline will be Mumbai, India, and Guangzhou, China, another popular hub route. This has been an ambitious rise for the airline which is yet to turn even two years old. It currently operates nine regional routes using CRJ900ERs and will add two routes Johannesburg and Lusaka soon.

With the first flights planned for May, keep an eye out for this rising African carrier in the skies. Currently, the airline only has two A330neos on order but it could add more widebodies in the future if it sees a growing demand. Considering the untapped potential of African aviation, we could see this airline expand quickly.