Disruption to TAP due to pilot strike from Friday 1 – Sunday 10 May 2015

London Air Travel » Porto

TAP Portugal Airbus A319
TAP Portugal Airbus A319 (Image Credit: TAP Portugal)

The trade union representing pilots of the airline TAP Portugal has called a ten day strike from Friday 1 May to Sunday 10 May 2015.

As yet, TAP has not yet published of operating flights during the period of industrial action. However, a minimum service will be set by an arbitration tribunal. We’ve no idea whether London is deemed important enough to require a minimum service level!

TAP has invited passengers booked on flights during the strike to rebook onto another TAP flight on an alternative date. TAP has not indicated whether affected passengers will be accommodated on other partner/rival airlines.

Update: TAP has published a list of minimum services that will be operated during the strike This includes a daily return service between London Heathrow and Lisbon:

Flight TP356 Depart Lisbon 15:00 – Arrive London Heathrow 17:40
Flight TP369 Depart London eathrow 18:45 – Arrive Lisbon 21:25

Other scheduled flights may still operate. However, the situation is likely to quite fluid. TAP has also published a list of flights over the next three days that are guaranteed not to operate.

TAP flies from London Heathrow to Lisbon, Funchal and Porto and from London Gatwick to Lisbon and Porto.

For those wishing to make their own alternative plans, alternative options include British Airways from London Heathrow to Lisbon and Porto and London Gatwick to Funchal, easyJet from London Gatwick to Lisbon, Funchal and Porto.

BA launches new summer seasonal routes from Heathrow

BA has launched summer seasonal routes from London Heathrow to Faro, Malaga, Mykonos, Porto and Santorini for summer 2014.

London Air Travel » Porto

Mykonos
Mykonos (Image Credit: British Airways)

Over the past few years, British Airways has operated summer seasonal weekend flights from its London Heathrow base to European holiday destinations.

Initially, these were charter flights for holiday companies and last year BA launched seasonal weekly flights to Ibiza and Palma de Mallorca. Both of these two destinations are to return to Heathrow next summer.

The use of Heathrow slots for summer seasonal flights ramps up a gear next summer as BA launches twice weekly flights to Faro (also operated from Gatwick), Malaga (also operated from Gatwick and London City), Mykonos, Porto and Santorini.

Flights to Oporto, Faro and Malaga operate from 30 March 2014. Flights to Mykonos operate from 3 May 2014 and flights to Santorini operate from 4 May 2014.

Although it may seem unusual BA is launching these routes from its main hub at Heathrow, instead of Gatwick which has served as BA’s main base for leisure flights over the past years, there is a logic in using Heathrow slots for such flights at weekends when business routes are relatively quiet. No doubt these routes are also supported by bookings from tour operators.

Flights can be booked now on ba.com.