By Reuters Staff
2 Min Read
LISBON, April 22 (Reuters) - Portugal’s ailing state-owned airline TAP on Thursday posted an annual loss of 1.2 billion euros ($1.44 billion) as passenger numbers fell by almost three quarters last year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global travel.
The airline received a 1.2 billion-euro rescue loan in 2020 from the state, which holds a 72.5% stake, allowing it to keep operating and end last year with a cash position of about 520 million euros, TAP said.
“Both the operation and the results in 2020 were severely impacted by the drop in activity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with passenger numbers falling 72.7%, after growing for four consecutive years,” the company said.