OREANDA-NEWS. On 09 June 2009 was announced, that the beginning of the summer season at Domodedovo airport will be marked by the coming of TAP, Portugal’s leading airline, and the start of its regular operations on the new Lisbon – Moscow - Lisbon route as of next June 10th, 2009, subject to regulatory approval. Flights will be operated five times a week:

Lisbon – Moscow (Domodedovo) on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and twice on Saturdays.

Moscow (Domodedovo) – Lisbon on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Passengers will be offered comfortable Airbus A320 aircraft.

The addition of this new destination, to be served from the company’s Hub in Lisbon, Portugal, allows TAP to enhance and diversify its European network with the extension to Moscow, one of the most relevant and fast growing markets in Eastern Europe for both business and leisure traffic.

While responding to customers needs and expectations and reinforcing thereby its contribution to the increase of Tourism flows between both countries, TAP can also be instrumental in offering passengers originating from Russia the best flights to its domestic network as well as the most convenient, the fastest and direct connections beyond Lisbon onward to Brazil or to its African destinations. Passengers arriving at Domodedovo will also be able to use its convenient connections: the airport offers 217 destinations, 86 of which are available only and exclusively from Domodedovo in the Moscow Aviation Hub.

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, the West Coast of Europe, is a city with 20 centuries of historical background, a large tourist center and the third largest cruise port in Europe. Today a modern European city, Lisbon offers visitors a large and varied choice of attractions, with enchanting medieval narrow streets and traditional old quarters, houses with exquisite tiling, the sounds of “fado” melodies played in traditional candlelit restaurants, as well as plenty of monuments, some of them evocative and devoted to the Age of Great Discoveries.

The growing popularity of Portugal as a tourist destination and according to company planning an average of 40,000 passengers per year is expected on this route. Upon arrival to Domodedovo, named one of the best international airports in terms of passenger service quality in 2008 by the ACI, passengers will be able to use the convenient connections of the airport, a wide variety of services of the highest quality and a passenger-friendly infrastructure. Domodedovo already connects Russia with over 50 countries around the world. Flights to Portugal will become the shortest way to reach the nearest ocean and so the West Coast of Europe will meet Russia at Domodedovo.