TAAG Angola Airlines - History

History

The origins of the carrier trace back to September 1938, when DTA – Divisão dos Transportes Aéreos was formed as a division of the Administration of Railways, Harbours, and Air Transport of Portuguese West Africa. Operations began on 17 July 1940, using De Havilland Dragon Rapide biplanes. The first cities served from Luanda were Lobito, Moçâmedes, and Ponta Negra.

The DC-3 joined the fleet in 1948 and the Fokker F-27 did so in 1962. In the meantime, the airline joined the International Air Transport Association in 1951. Also this year, the company extended the Leopoldville route far east, serving Lourenço Marques, but this destination was later abandoned due to poor financial performance.

On 1 October 1973 the company changed its name to TAAG – Transportes Aéreos de Angola, despite it has been more commonly known as TAAG – Linhas Aéreas de Angola (English: TAAG – Angola Airlines) since then; services to São Tomé and Príncipe and Windhoek were launched also this year.

After independence from Portugal in 1975 the airline was named Angola's flag carrier. During the 1970s the airline acquired several Ilyushin Il-62 aircraft along with Boeing 707 long-haul jets and Boeing 737s arriving in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Fokker F-27s were introduced on domestic routes at this time.

The Angolan government formed TAAG Air Angola for domestic operations. The airline relied on smaller jets, such as the Boeing 727 and Boeing 737s, for these local flights. It also used the larger, but older, Boeing 707s, as well as two Lockheed L-1011 TriStars in the 1990s, both leased from TAP Air Portugal.

TAAG began flights to six other African countries, as well as to Lisbon, Paris, Madrid, Rome and Moscow.

TAAG bought a Boeing 747-300 Combi from Singapore Airlines in 1997, aimed at operating long-haul routes. Flights to Havana, via Sal Island, were operated for many years to move Cuban advisors and military personnel, often on a fortnightly schedule. When granted rights to fly to Cuba, TAAG gained the distinction of being the only African airline to fly to José Martí International Airport in Havana.

It was disclosed in 2005 that the airline ordered three Boeing 777-200ERs and four Boeing 737-700s with the intention of replacing the ageing Boeing 747-300s and Boeing 737-200s. The order was partially fulfilled in November 2006, when two Boeing 777-200ERs and three 737-700s were delivered. The new equipment was incorporated without phasing out the older ones. The 777-200ERs were immediately put on services to Lisbon, Johannesburg, and Paris. Because the 777s were originally unable to fly transatlantic flights due to ETOPS restrictions, TAAG was limited to Boeing 747-300 operations to Brazil.

In November 2008, the TAAG board was ousted and a new board was appointed in an effort to get the airline removed from the EU blacklist. On 29 May 2009, it was announced that TAAG had passed IATA inspections.

In October 2009 (2009-10), TAAG began Boeing 777 flights to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo from Luanda after acquiring the necessary ETOPS certification. In November the same year, TAAG restarted services to Havana; many Cuban doctors and teachers reside in Angola and the flight exists to help transport them.

On 29 April 2010, it was announced that TAAG had ordered two Boeing 777-300ERs with an option for two more.

In January 2011, there were concerns over inadequate maintenance on its aircraft once again, after a series of incidents involving the Boeing 777-200ER fleet. However, it was determined that the company was still complying with international safety requirements after a IATA inspection in Luanda.