TAP punctuality above European average

TAP punctuality registered in October was above the EAA (European Airline Association) with 84 percent of company flights departing at their scheduled times while according to the latest data released for August average EAA punctuality was around 80 percent.

According to company administrator Luis Ribeiro Vaz, “The punctuality index achieved places TAP in a top position among European airline companies as currently one of the reference companies in terms of operating efficiency”.

This TAP indicator demonstrates a substantial improvement compared with the same month of last year in which punctuality on company flights from Lisbon did not exceed 58 percent and across the company network as a whole around 64 percent.

The significant improvement achieved reflects a sustained increase in TAP punctuality levels that from January to October registered an accumulated average of 75 percent of flights departing on time.

TAP has thus managed to surpass one of its priority goals it had set itself for this year and one that points to increased customer service quality, namely in terms of improved flight punctuality and reduced baggage problems as the only way of reacting to a scenario of reduced airline business on a world scale.

In this perspective it is also worth mentioning with regard to baggage problems that in October TAP registered perceptible improvements in terms of performance with a rate of 21 irregularities per 1000 passengers boarded when in the same month of 2007 31 baggage irregularities were verified for every 1000 passengers that boarded, representing a 32% improvement.

Luís Ribeiro Vaz considers that “This improvement on the one hand is due to the notable efforts to recover Groundforce performance and on the other hand better coordination of activities at Lisbon Airport, much helped by the entry into operational use of its Hub Control Center that today enables efficient planning and coordination between the range of entities operating at the airport”.

Within the scope of its customer service improvements, TAP has also implemented investment in the Premium passenger segment with the entry into service at Lisbon Airport of its Premium Customer Center and preferential access lanes at safety checkpoints as well as other measures that have enabled the company to regain the trust of this important segment.