TAAG Angola Airlines (DT, Luanda 4 De Fevereiro) has applied to the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) for a two-year renewal of its exemption authority to launch non-stop flights from Luanda Dr António Agostinho Neto to Houston Intercontinental by 2027 under a wet-lease or codeshare arrangement with an authorised US or foreign airline.
According to the application filed on March 25, TAAG seeks renewal of exemption authority granted by the DOT on June 30, 2023, authorising scheduled flights ferrying people, property, and mail from points behind Angola and intermediate points to points in the US and beyond, subject to a wet-lease or codeshare agreement.
TAAG cannot currently operate direct flights to the US itself because Angola lacks the mandatory US Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Category 1 safety rating. The airline is awaiting this certification.
According to its application, it aims to apply for Part 129 operations specifications and launch its own flights to Houston on completion of US licensing and once the FAA rates Angola's International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) as Category 1.
TAAG has begun acquiring B787s to replace its ageing B777-200ERs. The first B787-9 was delivered in January 2025, with another of the type and two B787-10s to be delivered. It intends to use them on the proposed Luanda-Houston route, contingent on regulatory approval.
