The Government of Cape Verde has authorized the granting of sovereign guarantees worth $6 million to the state-owned airline Linhas Aéreas de Cabo Verde (LACV) for the lease of two aircraft intended for inter-island flights. The measure aims to strengthen the carrier’s operational capacity on domestic routes within the archipelago.
“LACV has entered into operating lease agreements with Truenoord Yamuna Limited for two ATR 72-600 aircraft, which are essential for the fulfillment of its mission and for strengthening the operational capacity necessary to maintain inter-island air service,” states the resolution published in the Official Gazette.
The government decision authorizes the Directorate-General of the Treasury to grant two sovereign guarantees, in the form of a surety, in the amount of $3 million for each aircraft. One of the guarantees will take effect in July and the other in September.
The two aircraft, bearing the Cvsky livery, arrived in the archipelago in September 2025. The leasing company, TrueNoord, describes itself as an entity specializing in the leasing of regional aircraft, operating in various international markets.
At the operational level, the state-owned airline Transportes Aéreos de Cabo Verde (TACV) has temporarily assumed, since 2024, the simultaneous management of domestic and international routes, following difficulties with the previous service concession. Given this situation, the government decided to create a company dedicated exclusively to domestic transport, with LACV established by Decree-Law No. 46/2024 of September 6.
In terms of demand, aircraft and passenger traffic at Cape Verde’s airports grew by 16% in 2025, with domestic traffic recording the largest percentage increase. According to data from the Civil Aviation Agency (AAC), inter-island traffic increased by 34%, exceeding 820 passenger movements, including boardings, disembarkations, and transit.
This flow now accounts for nearly a quarter of total traffic in the archipelago, highlighting the growing importance of inter-island connections. The expansion of LACV’s fleet thus comes amid a significant increase in domestic air travel and a reorganization of the country’s civil aviation sector.
Source: Lusa
