Cabo Verde Airlines facts for kids
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| Founded | 1958 |
|---|---|
| Hubs | Sal |
| Fleet size | 2 |
| Destinations | 9 |
| Parent company | State of Cabo Verde (100%) |
| Headquarters | Sal, Cape Verde |
| Key people | Pedro Barros, CEO |
| Employees | 200 |
Cabo Verde Airlines is an international airline from Cape Verde, an island country in Africa. It used to be called TACV. This airline connects Cape Verde to different parts of the world, flying non-stop from its main airport hub on Sal Island.
Contents
History of Cabo Verde Airlines
How the Airline Started
Cabo Verde Airlines began in 1958. After Cape Verde became an independent country in 1975, the airline was chosen to be the national carrier. This means it was the main airline for the country. In 1983, the government took full ownership of the company.
The airline was first known as TACV. This name was a short way of saying "Transportes Aereos de Cabo Verde," which means "Air Transport of Cape Verde." Its logo had a blue wing with seven lines. These lines showed the number of flights the airline offered between the islands of Cape Verde.
Early Flights and Growth
Until 1984, TACV flew to 8 of the 9 islands where people lived. However, some smaller airports were not safe enough, so flights to those islands had to stop. For example, Brava's airport closed in 2003, and Santo Antão's closed in 2007.
In 1985, TACV started flying to Europe, with Lisbon, Portugal, as its first European destination. That same year, the airline also began flights to Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. For these longer flights, they used a large plane called a McDonnell Douglas DC-10.
New Planes and New Routes
A big moment for the airline was in 1996 when it received its first Boeing 757-200 plane. This plane was brand new from the factory and was named "B.Leza." With B.Leza, the airline could fly to Europe using its own planes and flight crews.
For many years, two Boeing 757 planes handled all of Cabo Verde Airlines' international flights. In 2015, the airline added new routes to Recife, Brazil, and Providence, Rhode Island, USA. They also restarted flights to Bissau in Africa.
Becoming Cabo Verde Airlines
In 2017, a company from Iceland called Loftleidir Icelandic started managing the airline. They decided to change the airline's main hub. A "hub" is like a central station where many flights connect. The new hub became Amílcar Cabral International Airport on Sal Island. This new hub helped connect flights between the Americas, Europe, and Africa.
In May 2018, the airline officially changed its name to Cabo Verde Airlines. This new name helped show the strong connection between the airline and its home country. With the new name, the airline added more flights to cities like Salvador de Bahia, Milan, Paris, Lisbon, and Rome.
In July 2023, Cabo Verde Airlines added a new type of plane to its fleet: the Boeing 737 MAX 8. This modern plane is used for international flights.
Destinations Served by Cabo Verde Airlines
As of February 2025, Cabo Verde Airlines flies to several places. Here are some of its regular destinations:
- Cabo Verde
- Boa Vista - Rabil Airport
- Maio - Maio Airport
- Praia - Nelson Mandela International Airport
- Sal - Amílcar Cabral International Airport hub
- São Nicolau - Preguiça Airport
- São Vicente - São Pedro Airport
- France
- Italy
- Bergamo - Orio al Serio International Airport
- Portugal
Airline Partnerships
Cabo Verde Airlines also works with other airlines to help passengers connect to more places. One of these partners is APG Airlines.
Cabo Verde Airlines Fleet
A "fleet" is the collection of all the airplanes an airline owns or uses.
Current Airplanes
As of February 2022, the Cabo Verde Airlines fleet includes these aircraft:
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Registration | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Class | Economy Class | Total | |||||
| ATR 72-500 | 1 | — | — | 72 | 72 | LY-JUP (leased from Jump Air) | |
| ATR 72-600 | — | 2 | — | 70 | 70 | ||
| Boeing 737-700 | 1 | — | 12 | 108 | 120 | D4-CCI | |
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | 1 | — | — | 179 | 179 | D4-CCJ | |
| Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 | 1 | — | — | 78 | 78 | ZS-DHBB (leased from CemAir) | |
| Total | 4 | 2 | |||||
Past Airplanes
When the airline was known as TACV, it used to operate many different types of aircraft. Here are some of the planes that are no longer part of their fleet:
| Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 42-300 | 4 | 1994 | 2010 | |
| ATR 42-500 | 1 | 2007 | 2017 | |
| ATR 72-500 | 3 | |||
| Auster D.5 | 3 | 1962 | Unknown | |
| Boeing 737-300 | 1 | 2002 | 2004 | |
| Boeing 737-400 | 1 | 2015 | 2015 | Leased from Go2Sky |
| Boeing 737-800 | 2 | 2012 | 2016 | |
| Boeing 757-200 | 6 | 1996 | 2022 | |
| Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander | 3 | 1971 | 1984 | |
| CASA C-212 Aviocar | 2 | 1992 | 1993 | |
| de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide | 1 | 1959 | Unknown | |
| de Havilland DH.104 Dove | 3 | 1962 | Unknown | |
| de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter | 2 | 1977 | 2004 | |
| Dornier 228 | 1 | 1999 | 1999 | Crashed as Flight 5002 |
| Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia | 1 | 1989 | 1994 | |
| Hawker Siddeley HS 748 | 2 | 1973 | 1998 |
See also
In Spanish: Cabo Verde Airlines para niños
- List of airlines of Cape Verde
