page_title: Portugália Airlines
section_title: Early years
hierarchical_section_title: Portugália Airlines / History / Early years
caption_attribution_description: Galego: ATR-42 de Portugália despegando do aeroporto da Coruña.
context_page_description: Portugália Airlines is a Portuguese regional airline with its head office on the grounds of Lisbon Portela Airport in Lisbon. It is a subsidiary of TAP Air Portugal and operates scheduled international and domestic services from its bases at Lisbon Airport and Porto Airport on behalf of TAP Express.
context_section_description: The airline was established on 25 July 1988 as a joint-stock company, but had to wait two years before it could start services, due to a delay in air transport liberalization. It started operations on 7 July 1990 with a flight from Lisbon to Porto. It also flew from Lisbon to Faro that same day. It started operations with scheduled domestic and international charter flights, as scheduled international flights were not then permitted under Portuguese legislation. International scheduled flights started in June 1992 from Lisbon and Porto.
  The company's first airplanes were Fokker 100, and since the late 1990s it has also purchased 8 Embraer 145, becoming the main competitor of state flag carrier TAP Air Portugal. Operating in the regional market, Portugália focused its operation in domestic routes, as well as on destinations in Spain, France, Italy, Germany and Morocco.
  The company's fleet stabilized in 2000 with 14 aircraft (6 Fokker 100 and 8 Embraer 145) still operating today. Portugália developed its own maintenance services since its earliest days, however it only managed to have its own Hangar and to increase its base maintenance capabilities as of 2005 with the opening of its Hangar at Lisbon Portela Airport. Performing most of its Fokker and Embraer maintenance in house, Portugália managed to significantly improve its results.
  Portugália received the title of Best Regional Airline in Europe, in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, the Skytrax Award for Best Cabin Staff in Europe, in 2005 and 2006, and for Best Cabin Staff in Southern Europe, in 2007.
caption: Former ATR-42 of Portugália Airlines
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