Airlines TAP launches first transatlantic A321LR operations

TAP Air Portugal has become one of the first operators to fly the Airbus A321 LR on a transatlantic route.

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TAP Air Portugal is celebrating a new milestone in aviation history. The company has successfully performed its first A321 LR transatlantic flight. TP0213 took off from Porto and landed in New York safely. It was one of the first times a narrow-body aircraft crossed the Atlantic without a stop-over, said TAP. Carriers La Compagnie and Air Transat started using A321LR on transatlantic routes a week before.

TAP CEO Antonoaldo Neves said that it was yet another historic day. CS-TXA, an Airbus A321-251NX, took off from Porto at 18:35 and landed 7:34 hours later at New York EWR.

In a statement, TAP wrote: "TAP is the world's first airline to fly across the Atlantic Ocean with one of the new models of the latest generation of Airbus planes that are among the most efficient and comfortable in the skies. The ability to fly transatlantic is one advantage of the Airbus A321LR that TAP can use to the maximum because of Portugal's geographic position on connections to the east coast of the United States and the north-east of Brazil. The range and flexibility let TAP increase the connections between Porto-New York and Porto-São Paulo to offer daily flights from Porto to New York. This aircraft confirms TAP's commitment to increasing its flights out of Porto airport."

The flag-carrier can use the aircraft for routes to North American cities like Montreal, Washington, Boston of New York. In Brazil, the carrier can explore new markets with flights to Recife, Maceió, Natal, Fortaleza or Salvador.

TAP´s A321LR aircraft feature 16 latest-generation full-flat business class seats. The airline stated that passengers would experience the same comfort on the A321LR as on widebodies like the A340 or A330. Inflight entertainment has been installed on the A321LR as well.

Since 2015, TAP has been investing in modernising its fleet. It is currently the only carrier in the world to fly the A320neo, A321neo, A321LR and A330neo. By 2025, the carrier is expecting to receive 71 of these aircraft.

TAP Air Portugal is the flag-carrier airline of Portugal. It operates main hubs at Lisbon and Porto and flies to nearly 90 destinations. TAP is a member of the Star Alliance and operates a subsidiary airline in TAP Express. The current mainline fleet consists of 21 Airbus A319s, 24 A320(neo)s, 11 A321(neo)s, 21 A330(neo)s and four A340-300s.

Source © tapairportugal.com

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