Lisbon, Portugal, 2016-Aug-17 — /Travel PR News/ — The two new TAP’s A330 that cross daily the Atlantic Ocean, operating the also new airline’s routes to the USA: Boston and New York – JFK, have now the names of two singular personalities: John Dos Passos and João Vaz Côrte-Real. With Portuguese ancestry, John Dos Passos, and the Portuguese navigator João Côrte-Real, had both a strong connection to North America as well as to the Azores and Madeira.
Grandchild of Madeira naturals, John Dos Passos was one of the most popular American writers of the first half of the twentieth century, as well as a renowned painter. Born in 1896, in Chicago, his origin was Portuguese. His grandfather left Ponta do Sol, in Madeira, with only 18 years old. After graduating from Harvard University, Dos Passos published his first work in 1919, “One Man’s Initiation”. Nevertheless, it is with “Manhattan Transfer”, launched in 1925, a novel that depicts episodes in the life of New York City, that the writer received a unanimous critics acclaim.
The trilogy “U.S.A.”, which included his opus “The 42nd Parallel”, was one of his most expressive works among American readers. Close to the end, Dos Passos would still dedicate a book to Portugal: ‘The Portugal Story: Three Centuries of Exploration and Discovery’, published in 1969, a work in which the author’s fascination with his own Portuguese heritage is reflected, tracking the nation’s rise and fall as a world power, drawing from Dos Passos’ own travels and archival research.
John Dos Passos is often associated with Ernest Hemingway, as they were good friends, and Jean-Paul Sartre goes as far as referring to him as “the greatest writer of our time”.
The Cultural Center John Dos Passos in Ponta do Sol, Madeira, marks today the writer’s strong connection with his ancestors’ homeland.
Born in the Algarve, circa 1430, João Vaz Côrte-Real was one of the main Portuguese navigators of the fifteenth century. Côrte-Real is believed to be one of the first Europeans to reach the Americas, between 1470 and 1473. His first expedition has been made circa 1470, in which he has reached eventually Newfoundland. Côrte-Real has made later several trips, through which he has explored the banks of the Hudson River, in New York City, and St. Laurence River, in Canada, reaching as far as the Labrador Peninsula.
The Portuguese Crown named him Governor of Angra do Heroísmo, in the Azores, where he lived most part of his life and where he would also die in 1496.
As part of TAP’s expansion programme in the North American market, the company honors two unique individuals closely connected to America, inscribing their names in the two new A330 aircraft recently put into operation, which have been flying particularly to New York – JFK and Boston. With completely renewed cabin interiors, these aircraft offer more comfort in Business Class, with full flat seats, but also in Economy Class, with slimline seats, providing passengers with more legroom and high quality entertainment systems on demand.
The new A330 cross now the Atlantic, pursuing an ancient route run by the Portuguese for over 500 years.
About TAP Portugal
TAP is Portugal’s leading airline, and member of Star Alliance, the global airline alliance to offer customers worldwide reach, since 2005. In operation since 1945, TAP celebrated 70 years on March 14, 2015, and has completed its privatization process in 2015, with the Atlantic Gateway Group now as new private shareholders of its share capital. TAP hub in Lisbon is a key European gateway at the crossroads of Africa, North, Central and South America, where TAP stands out as the international leading carrier in operation to Brazil. The company’s network currently comprises 81 destinations in 34 countries worldwide. TAP currently operates about 2,500 weekly flights in average on a modern fleet of 61 Airbus aircraft and 16 aircraft operating in PGA colors, TAP regional carrier, adding up to a 77 aircraft fleet in the whole. Within the vast restructure program currently going across the company as the outcome of its privatization process, TAP has already announced its Network restructure, its medium and long haul fleet renewal program as of 2017 and the retrofit of the fleet currently in operation as well as the launch of the new branded product TAP Express, which will soon replace PGA and operate a new fleet of 8 ATR 72 and 9 Embraer 190. In the pursuit of its customer focused policy, TAP continuously strives to deliver safe, reliable and upgraded products & services, tailored to meet customers’ expectations. Retaining the Portuguese character of the Company’s brand and quality service as the basic concept and has been the main driver of TAP strategy in most recent years. Recognized and awarded as the Europe’s Leading Airline to Africa as well as Europe’s Leading Airline to South America by the World Travel Awards in 2015 and 2014, the company was also awarded as the WTA World’s Leading Airline to Africa in 2011 and 2012 and the WTA World’s Leading Airline to South America in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Voted Best Airline in Europe in 2011, 2012, 2013 and again in 2015 by the Global Traveler, USA, the company was also honored by UNESCO and by the International Union of Geological Sciences with the IYPE “Planet Earth Award 2010”, in the category of “Most Innovative Sustainable Product”. TAP was also voted Best Airline by Condé Nast Traveller Magazine in 2010 and Best Portuguese Tourism Company by the specialized magazine Marketeer, in 2011.
SOURCE: TAP