Aviation History
Angola's flag carrier traces its roots to DTA (Divisão dos Transportes Aéreos), founded in 1938 under Portuguese colonial rule, which was renamed TAAG Angola Airlines around the time of the country's 1975 independence. TAAG's history has been shaped by Angola's long civil war, during which several aircraft were lost, and by a 2007-2019 European Union flight ban imposed over safety concerns that reportedly cost the airline millions of dollars a month — a period worth noting as historical rather than current status, since the ban was fully lifted in 2019. Wholly state-owned, TAAG has since modernized its fleet with Boeing 777s and 787s and, from 2024, began shifting operations to Luanda's new Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport.
Divisão dos Transportes Aéreos was established under Portuguese colonial administration, beginning operations in 1940 with De Havilland Dragon Rapide biplanes.
Around Angola's independence, the carrier was renamed TAAG Angola Airlines, becoming the flag carrier of the newly independent nation.
Angola's civil war brought direct losses to the airline through the early 1980s, including a Yak-40 shot down in 1980, an L-100 Hercules shot down in 1981, and a 1983 Boeing 737 crash after takeoff from Lubango that killed all 130 aboard.
The EU blacklisted TAAG over safety concerns in July 2007; the ban was eased in stages from 2009 and fully lifted in April 2019.
TAAG expanded its long-haul fleet with Boeing 777s and later 787 Dreamliners, rebuilding its international network during and after the EU ban era.
TAAG began shifting cargo and then passenger operations to the newly opened Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport outside Luanda.
TAAG Angola Airlines
Wikipedia, Simple Flying, SeatMaestro