Airline profile · Europe

TAP Air Portugal

PortugalFull-service carrierStar Alliance memberSince 1945

TPIATA code

TAPICAO code

TAP Air Portugal (IATA TP, ICAO TAP) is Portugal's national airline, flying from its Lisbon hub to Europe, Brazil, North America and Africa. It carried 16.7 million passengers in 2025 with an operating fleet of 99 aircraft. TAP joined Star Alliance in 2005, and in November 2026 the Lufthansa Group agreed to buy 44.9%.

Founded: 1945
First flight: 1946
Headquarters: Lisbon Airport, Lisbon, Portugal
Country: Portugal
Main hubs: Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS)
Airline type: Full-service carrier
Alliance: Star Alliance
Loyalty: TAP Miles&Go
Ownership: Wholly owned by the Portuguese Republic at 31 December 2025. On 3 November 2026 the Lufthansa Group signed an agreement to buy an initial 44.9% stake (up to 49.9% if employee shares are not taken up), subject to regulatory approval, in particular by the European Commission; the state is to keep 50.1%.
Callsign: AIR PORTUGAL
Website: flytap.com

How travel agents book TAP Air Portugal

GDS distribution

TAP's 2025 integrated report says the airline sells globally through GDS and NDC channels. We did not find a verified TAP-specific GDS surcharge in the sources we opened.

NDC

No public NDC programme details verified at time of writing.

Direct channels

Direct channels include flytap.com and the TAP app, and TAP runs the TAP Miles&Go loyalty programme, which had 9.5 million members according to its 2025 report.

Notes for travel agents

TAP's GDS and NDC terms may change once the Lufthansa Group stake is completed, but no change had been announced in the sources we checked. Other Lufthansa Group network airlines apply a Distribution Cost Charge on GDS EDIFACT tickets; TAP was not listed as covered in the group's charge announcements we opened.

On ReservationHub

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History of TAP Air Portugal

TAP was created on 14 March 1945 as the air transport section of Portugal's civil aviation office, under its director Humberto Delgado, whose name Lisbon's airport now carries. Its first commercial route opened on 19 September 1946, when a Douglas DC-3 flew 11 passengers from Lisbon to Madrid. Before the end of that year TAP launched the long 'Imperial Airline' route from Lisbon to Luanda and Lourenço Marques (now Maputo).

Over the following decades TAP built its network around links with Brazil, Portuguese-speaking Africa and the Portuguese diaspora in Europe and North America. It joined Star Alliance in March 2005. TAP was privatised in 2015 and renationalised in 2020, and then went through a state-backed restructuring.

Since 2024 TAP has owned the regional airline Portugália, which flies Embraer jets for TAP Express. In 2025 the Portuguese government launched a partial reprivatisation. It chose the Lufthansa Group's offer in October 2026, and the two sides signed an agreement for a 44.9% stake on 3 November 2026, which still needs regulatory approval.

Milestones

1945TAP created on 14 March.
1946First commercial route, Lisbon to Madrid, opened on 19 September.
2005Joined Star Alliance in March.
2015Privatised.
2020Renationalised.
2024Acquired full ownership of regional airline Portugália on 8 November.
2026Lufthansa Group selected in October and signed for a 44.9% stake on 3 November, pending approval.

Fleet

Airbus A330-900neo Airbus A330-200 Airbus A321neo LR Airbus A321neo Airbus A321 Airbus A320neo Airbus A320 Airbus A319 Embraer E190/E195

Aircraft types in service as of 2026

TAP's operating fleet was 99 aircraft at 31 December 2025 and 101 at 30 June 2026. At mid-2026 it comprised 19 A330neos, 3 A330ceos, 13 A321neo LRs, 10 A321neos, 3 A321ceos, 17 A320neos, 14 A320ceos, 3 A319ceos and 19 Embraer regional jets flown by Portugália. TAP planned ten neo deliveries in 2026, including two A330neos, and uses the A321LR on transatlantic routes to the US East Coast and north-east Brazil.

Network and hubs

Lisbon is TAP's hub, linking Europe with Brazil, North and Central America and Africa, with additional flights from Porto. TAP says it serves more than 90 destinations: 52 in Europe, 16 in South and Central America, 14 in Africa and 11 in North America.

In 2025 TAP carried 16.7 million passengers, up 3.4%, with a load factor of 84.2%. Capacity at Lisbon Airport is a constraint on growth. The Lufthansa Group has said it plans to make Lisbon its seventh hub and to expand TAP's routes to Brazil, Portuguese-speaking Africa and North America once its stake is approved.

TAP Air Portugal: frequently asked questions

What are TAP Air Portugal's airline codes?

TAP Air Portugal uses the IATA code TP and the ICAO code TAP, with the radio callsign AIR PORTUGAL. The company's legal name is Transportes Aéreos Portugueses, S.A. Regional flights operated by Portugália under the TAP Express brand are sold under the TP code.

Is TAP Air Portugal being privatised?

Partly. In October 2026 the Portuguese government chose the Lufthansa Group's offer, and on 3 November 2026 the two signed an agreement for Lufthansa to buy an initial 44.9% stake for EUR 1.025 billion. The deal needs regulatory approval, especially from the European Commission, and the state is to keep 50.1%.

Is TAP Air Portugal in Star Alliance?

Yes. TAP joined Star Alliance in March 2005. Its loyalty programme, TAP Miles&Go, lets members earn and redeem miles on Star Alliance partners, and alliance status applies on TAP flights from its Lisbon hub.

Where does TAP Air Portugal fly?

TAP flies from Lisbon, and also from Porto, to more than 90 destinations. Its network is strongest on routes to Brazil, Portuguese-speaking Africa and North America, with 52 European destinations feeding those long-haul flights through Lisbon.

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Sources

Profile updated 4 November 2026 by the ReservationHub team. Airline details change: confirm schedules, fares and policies with the airline before booking. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.