Portuguese airline TAP will launch three weekly flights connecting Bucharest to Lisbon this summer. The company hopes to attract passengers form the Romanian community in Portugal, which is the fourth largest immigrant community in the country,  exceeded only by immigrants from Cape Verde, Ukraine and Brazil.

“The new flight between Lisbon and Bucharest will also generate potential connecting traffic to Porto, Faro, Madeira and the Azores, contributing to an increase in tourist demand at these destinations,” according to a TAP statement.

Prices for a return flight start at some EUR 190, close to those operated by Romanian low cost airline Blue Air.

Flights will depart from Lisbon on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 23.10, arriving in Bucharest at 05.10. The Bucharest-Lisbon flights will depart on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 06.00, arriving in Lisbon at 08.25 hours.

TAP previously announced that it will be launching two other new European routes in 2012, to Berlin and Turin in June.

When these three new routes are launched, TAP will fly to a total of 51 European destinations in 22 countries.

TAP is the third airline to announce new routes to Romania this year, after Air One and Air Vallee made similar announcements.

editor@romania-insider.com