State-owned TAAG Angola Airlines has entered into a partnership that will advance the airline’s aims to capture traffic between Africa and the Americas.

The airline is the newest member of the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) with a membership list including 50 airlines and 124 industry partners.

From its headquarters in Luanda, TAAG operates domestic and international flights, including strategic routes to Cuba and Brazil, fostering connectivity between Africa and the Americas.

“Joining ALTA empowers the company’s reputation within the industry and is a strong statement of TAAG’s growth footprint. In the long term, we intend to capture and facilitate traffic between the Americas and Africa, providing passengers from those regions with a value-added alternative for connecting with Europe, and vice versa, via the Luanda Hub,” Nelson de Oliveira, CEO of TAAG, said.

ALTA CEO José Ricardo Botelho said: “We are very pleased to welcome TAAG Angola Airlines as a member of our association. Its role in connecting Latin America, Africa and Europe, taking advantage of the growing flow of transatlantic traffic, is key for the development of air transport.”

Botelho expressed optimism at the growth of connectivity between the African and Latin American markets in 2024.

According to ALTA research, total capacity between the two markets in January to July grew by 108% to 378 000 seats compared to the same period last year. This dynamism is expected to continue over the next two decades. Projections indicate 5.5% average annual growth rate between Africa and South America and 3.8% growth between Africa, Central America and the Caribbean.

In terms of its 2024-2029 expansion plan, TAAG is modernising its fleet after recently receiving the first of its 15 Airbus A220s for high-demand domestic and intra-African routes. Four Boeing 787 Dreamliners have also been ordered for continental and intercontinental routes.