Fernando Pinto: Growth in summer is not enough to cover the impact of the strike pilots – Jornal de Negócios – Portugal

Fernando Pinto: Growth in summer is not enough to cover pilots strike impacts

There are more passengers, but the overall decline in rates has not TAP gives reason to smile. Fernando Pinto ensures that summer 2015 is to be a success, but does not believe that growth this year is higher than 2014.

The president of TAP, Fernando Pinto , considered this Wednesday, July 22, the growth in passengers recorded by airline number in the summer period is not sufficient to cover the impact of the strike by pilots held from 1 to May 10 and whose impact was estimated at 35 million euros.

“The greatest impact is in the price. We had a loss of average tariff after the strikes. It costs a lot to recover,” he said on the sidelines of integration conference Avianca Brazil the Star Alliance, in Sao Paulo. Despite this scenario, the manager believes that the confidence of passengers has already been recovered.

Fernando Pinto defines the operation this summer as “a success.” The number of passengers is also increasing: the end-of-week are 40 000 a day for the 35 000 working days. Last year, the indicators were located respectively in 36 and 30 000.

The first half was positive, but the president of TAP does not believe the company can close 2015 with a growth above the year past. “Growth will not be the same as we had last year. It will be balanced,” he argued. In 2014, TAP transported 11.4 million passengers, representing an increase of 6.6%.

Brazil will continue to be a priority market for the company, even with the fall of 8% that TAP watched in their prices for the 12 Brazilian cities where it operates. Fernando Pinto wants to find a way to raise tariffs and highlights the good occupation – above 80% -. Registered on these routes

The TAP intends to strengthen synergies, especially with the Blue. The joining them is the businessman David Neeleman, part of the winning consortium of the privatization of 61% of the Portuguese company, with Humberto Pedrosa of Barraqueiro.

“TAP and Blue will be two airlines sisters” said Fernando Pinto, who did not rule out the possibility of developing partnerships of “code-share” with the third largest Brazilian airline.

Sure, for now, is the connection Avianca Brazil, which integrated this Wednesday, July 22, the Star Alliance network. The company is chaired by José Efromovich, brother Germán Efromovich, who ran for privatization of TAP. Avianca Brazil is owned by Synergy group, led by Germán Efromovich.

Fernando Pinto expected, given the growth potential of the partner, enjoy Avianca Brazil to proceed with the distribution of TAP passengers elsewhere in from the country. The total of passengers carried, half end up resorting to this kind of connecting flights. “It is on these routes operated by Avianca we intend to make a distribution of our passengers,” he argued.

* Journalist in São Paulo at the invitation of the Star Alliance