The Minister for Infrastructure said today that the TAP privatization process opened by the previous government has not been closed by the current one, adding that the timetable has not been set and that this is a phase of delay.
“The time table [for the privatization of TAP] has not been set, but let me tell you: the process is open, it was opened by the previous government and this government has not closed it,” said the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, in the Assembly of the Republic, in the debate on sectoral policy.
The minister was responding to questions from Liberal MP Mariana Leitão about the timing of the TAP privatization process, highlighting the 3.2 billion euros in state aid that the airline received when it got into difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Miguel Pinto Luz said that the process is at a modest stage, stressing that “it’s not public” that the issue is being dealt with, recalling his participation in the previous privatization carried out by the government led by Pedro Passos Coelho.
The minister also recalled that, between the funds earmarked for CP, Metro do Porto, among others, “there are more than 10,000 million euros”. “I know, TAP is another passion, but there are other passions that are more expensive,” he said.
The State holds the entire capital of the Portuguese flag carrier, after having increased its stake when TAP got into difficulties due to the impact of the covid-19 pandemic.
The reprivatization process began last September, when the previous Socialist government approved the conditions of the sale, but was put on hold after the resignation of Prime Minister António Costa and the calling of early elections for March 10, which gave victory to the Democratic Alliance (PSD/CDS-PP and PPM).
In the Government Programme, delivered to the Portuguese Parliament, Luís Montenegro’s government pledged to “launch the process of privatizing TAP’s share capital”, without giving any further details.
The three major European aviation groups – Air France-KLM, the Spanish-British group IAG and Germany’s Lufthansa – have expressed interest in privatization.
