easyJet looking at opportunities from TAP privatisation

The low-cost airline easyJet says that it has “absolutely no plan” of action regarding the privatisation of Portugal’s State-owned carrier TAP, but has admitted that it is “open to opportunities” that could arise from the sale process.

“We will study opportunities if we are contacted or approached, but at the present time there is absolutely no plan, and we’re completely focused on our own plans”, said Thomas Haagensen, the European director of the airline in an interview with Lusa.
At the same time it has announced 27 routes for the summer but foresees “fairly limited growth in the Portuguese market.
And adds: “We have a huge challenge going forward to meet our goals for the summer and then we can look at opportunities as they arise, but at the moment we’re focused on our own growth.”
easyJet has been operating 18 daily slots that belong to TAP at Lisbon airport. At a time in which the Portuguese government is planning to re-privatise TAP, maintaining a minority position in the airline, Thomas Haagensen refused to comment on “the plans of any other airline company”, preferring to stick to easyJet’s own expansion plans in Lisbon which is “fantastic news for the Portuguese consumer and for Europeans who want to travel to Portugal”.
“As for us, we are focusing on our operation since we have the astonishing challenge ahead”, said Thomas Haagensen when quizzed on additional time slots and new routes from Portugal.
The 27 new destinations launched for the summer which began on Sunday include Lisbon to Bastia (Corsica), Maiorca, Ibiza, Minorca, Barcelona Birmingham, as well as Porto to Funchal and Porto Santo.
easyJet began operation in Portugal in 1998 where it now employs 830 staff at three bases (Lisbon, Porto and Faro), operating 89 routes using 30 aircraft of which 19 are based in Portugal, transporting 7.4 million passengers in 2022.