TAP Adjusts flight operations to Mozambique indefinitely

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TAP Adjusts flight operations to Mozambique indefinitely

8:29 CAT | 23 Dec 2024

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[File photo: airside_spotter/kiosque da aviação]

TAP will maintain its scheduled operation to Maputo, with three weekly flights, but the crews will now overnight in South Africa, and the planes will be refueled there. These changes will remain in place indefinitely, the company confirmed on Friday.

In a written response to Lusa, TAP stated that “flights between Lisbon and Maputo will now include a technical stop in Johannesburg for refueling and crew changes.”

According to the source, the Lisbon-Maputo crews will remain in Johannesburg. The aircraft will refuel in the South African city and proceed to Maputo with a new crew that has already rested in Johannesburg. This crew will then operate the return flight to Lisbon on the same day without leaving the airport in Mozambique.

When asked if these changes were temporary or permanent, considering the possibility of new protests around December 23 when the Constitutional Council is expected to announce the official results of the October 9 general elections, the company responded only that “the operation will continue under these conditions until further notice.”

Safety Concerns and Operational Adjustments

On Thursday, the Observador newspaper cited an internal TAP communication signed by the company’s flight operations director, Mário Bento. The memo explained that the airline has been “closely monitoring the situation in Mozambique, particularly events in Maputo, based on confidential information, open sources, diplomatic channels, and local contacts.”

The note referred to events following November 27, when TAP decided to “repatriate all crew members present in Maputo to Lisbon and temporarily suspend operations to this destination.” This decision was due to safety concerns as crew members often faced barriers erected by protesters, preventing them from traveling from hotels to the airport.

As the announcement of Mozambique’s election results by the Constitutional Council approaches, with the possibility of heightened protests, TAP has agreed to alter crew accommodations. This decision aligns with concerns raised by personnel associations and unions, described as a “provisional measure” to ensure crew safety, according to Bento.

Electoral Context and Post-Election Protests:
The Constitutional Council of Mozambique is expected to announce the results of the general elections, which included presidential, legislative, and provincial votes, by Monday, December 23.

Preliminary results announced on October 24 by the National Election Commission (CNE) declared Daniel Chapo, supported by the ruling party Frelimo, the winner with 70.67% of the votes. However, these results still require validation by the Constitutional Council, the final arbiter of electoral disputes.

Venâncio Mondlane, who came in second with just over 20% of the votes according to the CNE, has been calling for strikes and demonstrations nationwide. These protests have often escalated into violence and clashes with police.

Since October 21, at least 130 people have died in post-election protests in Mozambique, according to data from the Electoral Platform Decide, an NGO monitoring the electoral process. The organization also reported 385 gunshot injuries, 3,636 arrests, five missing persons, and more than 2,000 injured protesters as of December 15.

Source: Lusa