TAP planned to charge an additional 30 euros per leg on routes between Madeira/Lisbon and Madeira/Porto, a measure condemned by the Regional Government (PSD/CDS-PP) on Monday. The government addressed a letter to the chairman of the airline, Luís Rodrigues, urging him to reverse the decision.
In today’s plenary session at the Regional Legislative Assembly, the social democrat parliamentary leader emphasized that the protest vote under discussion “is worth 60 euros” and “facilitated a retreat by TAP” which “is crucial for the citizens.”
Jaime Filipe Ramos praised the swift reaction of the Madeiran executive and criticized TAP for “price speculation” and maintaining an “aggressive commercial policy towards Madeirans,” whether public or private.
JPP leader Élvio Sousa commented that he expected to read “harsh words” against the national government, instead of “soft, moderate words that wouldn’t hurt the Government of the Republic, TAP’s parent.”
PS deputy Victor Freitas added that this “is not the first nor will it be the last time TAP attempts this kind of extortion on Madeirans and Porto-Santans during Christmas and New Year,” while CDS-PP parliamentary member Sara Madalena accused the airline of “throwing mud at the wall to see if it sticks.”
Miguel Castro from Chega agreed with the document but pointed out that the issue of TAP’s reprivatization remains unclear and stressed that the millions invested by the state must “return to the pockets of the Portuguese people.”
The sole Liberal Initiative deputy, Gonçalo Maia Camelo, suggested that the protest should also “be directed at the Government of the Republic as a shareholder of TAP” and not just at the airline.
“The Legislative Assembly expresses its vigorous protest against the objectively disrespectful conduct of TAP’s administration, which constitutes a severe disregard for the citizens of Madeira and Porto Santo, particularly unacceptable in a context where prices were already high,” the text states.
The PSD deputies also referenced the Government of the Republic, noting that as “the majority shareholder […], it cannot shirk its supervisory responsibilities.”
“The mobility of Madeirans is not a luxury; rather, it is a duty of the State and those representing it,” is highlighted in the protest vote.
In the period before the agenda, PSD deputy Bruno Melim, who delivered the weekly political statement, had already focused his speech on air mobility, criticizing TAP and its behavior.
For the deputy, despite being public, the airline acts like a private entity, “it is a source of division and discord,” deeming the attempt to raise fares by 30 euros during Christmas and New Year’s as unacceptable.
