Africa-Press – Cape verde. The Minister of Tourism and Transport admitted today that domestic air transport is the “Achilles heel” of the sector, ensuring that the government is determined to guarantee the stability of flights at the domestic market level.
José Luís Sá Nogueira made these considerations at the workshop presenting the impact of the 40% direct subsidy on air tickets to the islands of Maio and São Nicolau, in the first six months of its implementation.
Aimed at tourism agents, air operators, tourism enterprises, local businesspeople, representatives of civil society and communities on the benefiting islands, the event aimed to analyze the effects of the measure on citizen mobility, boosting tourism, encouraging trade and strengthening the local economy.
“Obviously, one ‘Achilles heel’ that we still have and that we are trying to resolve is domestic air transport. We have been taking a series of measures, namely the creation of a new domestic air transport company that is already in an advanced process of its licensing and certification so that it can operate this year”, he announced.
Illustrating that TACV itself has been “provisionally” operating at the domestic market level, “significantly increasing” flights and frequencies to meet demands, the minister assured that there is a “significant increase” in passengers and flights, when comparing the first quarter of 2025 with the first quarter of 2019 and 2024.
“In other words, the first quarter of this year in terms of passenger flow and aircraft movement in the domestic market has already surpassed that of 2019. We are reaching an interesting level, but we still need to invest heavily in ensuring the stability of flights in the domestic market,” he admitted.
Highlighting the “extraordinary impact” that this incentive, the direct subsidy of 40% on air tickets to the islands of Maio and São Nicolau, has had on the mobility of people seeking out these islands for some activity, José Luís Sá Nogueira, guaranteed that the Government will acquire two new planes to reinforce the supply capacity.
“They have already been purchased. They are now ready to come to Cape Verde. We are waiting for the entire certification process to be completed so that these aircraft can be in Cape Verde and reinforce our supply capacity in terms of frequency and also ensure stability and quality in domestic air transport,” he said.
José Luís Sá Nogueira took the opportunity to urge travel agencies, which, as he said, have a “fundamental role” in promoting this type of incentive and also in selling tickets, to do everything they can to ensure that passengers have access to these affordable fares, allowing a “positive impact” on the mobility of people.
The governor concluded by highlighting, on the other hand, that the Government’s strategic vision is to transform Cape Verde into an international business platform, and for this to happen it will be “crucial” that there is efficient and effective connectivity.
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