In a video message released to newsrooms, communist deputy Bruno Dias argued that the allocation to easyJet of 18 slots at Humberto Delgado Airport, in Lisbon, which belonged to TAP "is another serious blow for the flag carrier".

From the PCP's point of view, the moment of recovery in airline activity - after an interruption of almost two years due to the pandemic and confinements around the world - should be accompanied by "more opportunities for TAP's growth".

Therefore, the party urges the Government to “face these impositions that the European Union places”.

The European Commission awarded TAP's 18 daily slots at Lisbon airport to easyJet, as it is the company that, among the candidates, has the “largest capacity for seats” until 2025, an official source from the community executive told Lusa.