On 4 June we reported that Cabo Verde Airlines were re-commencing flights between Lisbon and Cape Verde. This was expected and was announced by the airline, after 15 months of inactivity due to the pandemic. Unfortunately however, this has not happened. The directors of Cabo Verde Airlines have now suspended the sale of tickets for 30 days.
The reason for this is because of a dispute between the Government of Cabo Verde and the management of Cabo Verde Airlines (CVA). The airline is 51% owned by an Icelandic company, an arrangement that started in 2019. At that time the company ceased internal flights and was based on Sal for international flights.
The precise details of the dispute are not entirely clear. It seems that the Government has in effect seized the plane, which arrived back in the country earlier in the year. The first flight to Lisbon was stopped by the Government at the last minute.
[02 July 2021]
