The airline carries more than two million passengers between Brazil and Europe.
For six decades, TAP Air Portugal has been connecting Portugal and Europe with Brazil. In 2026, the airline will celebrate 60 years of a history marked by the expansion of international aviation, the strengthening of ties between the two countries, and operations that have established the Brazilian market as one of the most important for TAP.
Throughout this period, the airline has expanded its operations in the country and currently boasts one of the largest networks of connections between the two markets. In 2026, TAP expects to carry 2.1 million passengers across the Atlantic, underlining the importance of the Brazilian market.
“Brazil has served the company very well over the last 60 years and will serve it even better over the next 60,” says Luís Rodrigues, CEO of TAP Air Portugal. “The country has enormous growth potential and remains a key market for TAP.”
With the new routes to Curitiba and São Luís do Maranhão, TAP now connects Portugal with 15 destinations in Brazil, expanding travel options for both tourists and business travellers, as well as for passengers seeking international connections, as TAP offers links to dozens of destinations in Europe, Africa and North America.
This expansion reinforces the company’s long-term strategy in Brazil, keeping pace with the growth in tourism and the demand for direct connections between South America and Europe. “Brazil is a key player and, probably, one of TAP’s greatest assets at the moment,” notes Luís Rodrigues. “We believe in the country’s potential and in the opportunities that still exist to bring Brazilians and Europeans even closer together.”
The relationship between TAP and Brazil has grown over the years. Lisbon and Porto have become important gateways to Europe for Brazilian passengers. In this way, TAP has also contributed to the development of tourism, business and cultural exchange between the two countries.
To mark this special occasion, TAP reaffirms its commitment to the Brazilian market and looks forward to the next chapters of a partnership forged six decades ago, with a focus on growth, connections and new opportunities between Brazil and Europe.
Rio de Janeiro and TAP: a historic connection
TAP operated its first direct jet flight between Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro on 17 June 1966, using the Boeing 707 CS-TBA, christened ‘Santa Cruz’ in honour of the historic flight by Sacadura Cabral and Gago Coutinho, piloted by Captain Silva Soares. Exactly 44 years before this flight, the Portuguese aviators had arrived in Rio de Janeiro aboard the Santa Cruz seaplane, thereby completing the first aerial crossing of the South Atlantic.
The inaugural flight carried around 80 passengers and marked the start of scheduled jet services between Portugal and Brazil, establishing an air link that would become a symbol of the bond between the two countries.
Prior to this first commercial flight, in 1960 TAP operated the so-called ‘Friendship Flight’, in collaboration with Panair. From 1965 onwards, the airline began operating the route with its own aircraft, connecting Lisbon–Sal–Recife–Rio de Janeiro. However, it was in 1966 that TAP took a decisive step by launching a direct, non-stop service between Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro.
Since then, Rio de Janeiro has become a symbol of the bond between Portugal and Brazil, welcoming millions of passengers who have crossed the oceans in search of culture, business and reunions. TAP Air Portugal has built a lasting bridge between two worlds and today, six decades on, it celebrates this history by looking to the future and reaffirming its commitment to continuing to bring Portugal, Brazil, Europe and the world closer together.
About TAP AIR PORTUGAL
TAP is Portugal’s leading airline and has been a member of the Star Alliance since 2005. Founded in 1945, TAP Air Portugal is based in Lisbon, a prime location in Europe, situated at the crossroads between Africa and North, Central and South America. TAP Air Portugal is the world’s leading airline for connections between Europe and Brazil. The airline operates more than 1,000 weekly flights to 75 cities, including six airports in Portugal, ten in North America, fourteen in Central and South America, thirteen in Africa and thirty-eight in Europe (excluding Portugal).
TAP remains firmly committed to modernising its fleet and offering its customers the best product in the industry. The Portuguese airline operates one of the world’s most modern fleets, consisting entirely of Airbus’s new-generation NEO aircraft: the A320neo, A321neo, A321LR and A330neo, which offer greater efficiency and lower emissions. TAP also operates 19 Embraer aircraft in its regional fleet (TAP Express). In 2025, TAP was ranked by Airline Ratings as the safest airline in Europe and the eleventh safest in the world. TAP Air Portugal has been recognised and awarded the title of Europe’s Leading Airline to Africa and Europe’s Leading Airline to South America by the World Travel Awards in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Opening image: Carlos Antunes, TAP’s Director for the Americas; Carlos Oliveira, Chairman of TAP’s Board of Directors; and Luís Rodrigues, TAP’s CEO, during the event held in Rio de Janeiro to mark the 60th anniversary of TAP Air Portugal’s flights to Brazil.