Cabo Verde Airlines (VR, Sal Amilcar Cabral International) will restart commercial flights on June 18, 2021, more than 14 months since it was forced to suspend operations due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, the company announced.

The resumption will be gradual, starting with one weekly flight on Fridays between Sal Amilcar Cabral International on Sal Island and Lisbon, the Portuguese capital.

From June 28, 2021, until March 28, 2022, Cabo Verde Airlines will fly:

  • 4x weekly between Praia/Sal and Lisbon on Fridays and Mondays;
  • 1x weekly between Praia/Sal and Boston (USA) on Tuesdays, returning on Wednesdays;
  • 1x weekly between Sal/São Vicente and Paris CDG on Saturdays, returning on Sundays.

The carrier in a statement said it expected to launch new frequencies and additional destinations depending on the speed of vaccination campaigns and the re-opening of international borders.

Reservations re-opened on March 31 through a new passenger service system that integrates sales, operations, and accounting solutions. The system was installed during the downtime, enforced in March 2020, which the airline used to reorganise and train its staff.

The company will offer customers a rebate programme for unpaid flight vouchers, which allows travel to be scheduled up to three years after the issue.

“We are excited that we can finally resuscitate the airline from the ashes of the pandemic. This is just the beginning, and we are looking forward to creating a better future”, commented Chief Executive Officer Erlendur Svavarsson.