A new game plan is taking shape at TAP, Portugal’s national airline. Carlos Oliveira, known for his past work in entrepreneurship and innovation, is now the head of TAP’s Board of Directors. This move changes how the company is led.
Think of it like a coach bringing in a specialist. Before this, Luís Rodrigues held two big jobs: CEO and Chairman of the Board. He took on both roles in April 2023. Now, those jobs are split. Luís Rodrigues will stay on as the CEO, guiding the daily operations. The other board members also keep their positions.
Carlos Oliveira is a smart pick for this role. He studied Systems and Computer Engineering at Minho University. He used to be a Secretary of State in a past government. In that job, he focused on making businesses competitive and helping new ideas grow. He also led InvestBraga, an agency that helps Braga’s economy, and ran Startup Braga.
The Minister of Infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz, explained this change. He said it follows the best ways to run a big company. These practices are common not just in Portugal, but across Europe. The changes are expected to happen very soon, likely within the next week.
This isn’t the first time TAP has split these top jobs. Before Luís Rodrigues stepped in, Christine Ourmières-Widener was the CEO. Manuel Beja was the Chairman of the Board. Both were later fired by the government. That happened after a big controversy involving a payout to Alexandra Reis, a former airline executive.
The current Board of Directors includes several other key players. These are Gonçalo Pires, Mário Cruz, Sofia Lufinha, Mário Chaves, Maria João Cardoso, Ana Lehman, João Duarte, and Patrício Ramos. They will all work with Carlos Oliveira to steer TAP forward.
The government also just approved a new rule. It clears the way for selling TAP. The airline became fully state-owned in 2020. This happened because the pandemic hit air travel hard. Now, the goal is for private investors to own parts of TAP again.
This new rule needs one more important approval. The country’s President must sign off on it. This isn’t a new fight. Last October, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa stopped a similar plan. He sent it back because he wanted more transparency in the process.
The idea of selling TAP has been on the table since 2023. But changes in government have paused the process. TAP started as a state company. It was partly sold to private owners in 2015. But then, in 2016, the government bought back 50% of the company.
Last year, the current government revived talks about selling a piece of TAP. They aim to sell a minority share in 2025. Big European airline groups are already looking closely at the deal. These include Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, and IAG. The game is definitely on for TAP’s future.
