Praia, Sept. 3, 2025 (Lusa) - The Cabo Verdean government announced on Wednesday that it will be making changes to the board of directors of Transportes Aéreos de Cabo Verde (TACV) in order to strengthen efficiency at a time when the company is facing operational disruptions and is having to negotiate leasing aeroplanes.
"We have a plan at the moment to make a change in the governance of TACV, which has to do with the need to strengthen the efficiency and performance of its operation," said Cabo Verde's minister for tourism and transport, José Luís Sá Nogueira, in an interview with Televisão de Cabo Verde (TCV).
The minister explained that some directors will leave and others will remain, without specifying names.
Asked by the journalist if the chairman of TACV's board of directors, Pedro Barros, had resigned, Sá Nogueira said no, but that "there is an agreement for change" in the company's leadership.
The minister also said that Linhas Aéreas de Cabo Verde, created this year to manage domestic air links, should start operating this quarter, initially with two aircraft.
"All the procedures are practically approved by the Civil Aeronautics Authority, which means that as soon as we have two aircraft, they can be transferred to Linhas Aéreas de Cabo Verde in 15 to 30 days," he said.
In June 2024, the Cabo Verdean government appointed the economist and current president of the Sovereign Private Investment Guarantee Fund, Pedro Barros, to lead the state-owned company.
At the time, deputy prime minister Olavo Correia admitted that Pedro Barros would have "a difficult term of office because the transport sector is complex".
"We trust him, he has the requirements to do a good job at the head of this company, which is of added importance to the Cabo Verdean economy," he said.
On Tuesday, TACV announced that it is negotiating the lease of two additional aeroplanes to respond to recent operational disruptions and improve the regularity of connections.
The measure is intended to increase seat availability, ensure greater comfort when travelling between the islands and keep passenger safety a priority.
On Monday, the company announced that it was using Boeing aircraft and that it had chartered a ship from CV Interilhas to ensure domestic connections, following failures in two aircraft on Sunday that led to a temporary stoppage.
The two aircraft landed safely at Nelson Mandela International Airport in Praia and passengers were disembarked in accordance with safety procedures.
Following the operational incidents, TACV "immediately activated" the emergency plan and set up a team to investigate the incidents.
Since the end of 2024, the company has operated four planes on inter-island connections, but in recent weeks it has seen cancellations, leaving passengers stranded due to operational problems and fleet limitations.
About a week ago, the president of the Cabo Verde Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies, Marvela Rodrigues, warned of the repetition of these constraints, especially during periods of high demand.
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