Portuguese government outlines fleet and job cuts to restructure TAP

Portugal’s government has indicated that a restructuring of flag-carrier TAP should involve a reduction of fleet capacity, and the cutting of 2,000 personnel. The carrier group has over 100 aircraft, including its regional division Portugalia, but the Portuguese infrastructure minister Pedro Nuno Santos, speaking during a briefing on the restructuring, said it should begin 2021 with a fleet of 88. This is the minimum fleet required to avoid jeopardising TAP’s hub role, he states, adding that the carrier needs to focus on smaller, more efficient aircraft types. Nuno Santos says there is a parallel need to reduce the workforce to adapt to this capacity reduction. “What we have to do is fundamental to being able to save the company,” he says, adding that the plan will enable it to compete more effectively and, at some point, start recruiting again. Nuno Santos says the restructuring has to be conducted with “seriousness” to control the quantity of public money needed to rescue the airline. He says TAP has more pilots and crew per aircraft than its competitors, adding: “We need to be able to correct this difference.” The restructuring envisions cutting the workforce by 2,000 over the course of 2021-22 and implementing a salary reduction of up to 25%. This will allow the company to save 600-1,000 jobs, he adds.<br/>