TACV Cabo Verde Airlines’ commercial director, Euriza Carrilho, will meet in Brazil today, February 28, with the Secretary of Tourism of the northeastern state of Pernambuco, Sílvio Costa Filho, to define the opening of a new flight between Senegalese capital Dakar and Pernambuco state capital Recife. The flight will stop in Cape Verdean capital Praia and is expected to begin in September, making Recife TACV’s second destination in Brazil following Fortaleza.

TACV and the Pernambuco State Tourism Secretariat are working together to define joint promotional activities for the new flight route, and share the objective of guaranteeing a 70% occupancy rate on the flights, which will be operated with 210-seat Boeing 757s.

According to the site www.jc.com.br, Costa Filho confesses that “this is a flight Pernambuco has wanted for a long time,” and adds that “the direct connection to Africa, which possesses an incredible tourist potential, should help spur commerce here.”

Pernambuco hopes to follow the example set by the neighboring state of Ceará, which in the past several years has been transformed into one of Cape Verde’s main trade partners in Brazil. A Semana Online has learned that the state of Bahia has also sought a partnership with TACV as a way of securing a new “window” to the Africa as well.

Source: A Semana