Dear passengers of Cabo Verde Airlines, partners and friends,
In these unprecedented times, I want to reach out to you and share how Cabo Verde Airlines has been and will be working with you to minimize the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic has affected us all. We are all in this together. As we adjust our lives and practice social distancing to protect the more vulnerable, we see how we can all make a difference. As you are aware, the Government of Cabo Verde was proactive, and halted the spread of the virus through early restriction of travel to/from Italy. They took swift action as a government to protect us all, and we are proud to work with them in protecting citizens from around the world – you – our valued passengers.
The Government of Cabo Verde halted all international flights on 18 March for an initial period of 30 days. Weeks have passed, and as you are aware, most nations have followed World Health Organization recommendations and have restricted travel to protect us all. We honor their commitment, and respect their health and safety-based decisions.
As an airline, we were proud to operate repatriation flights, bringing Cabo Verde citizens back home, and flying United States citizens back to Boston. We will work to fly supplies into Cabo Verde and will assist by flying medical supplies as required, but for the safety of all, commercial flight operations are halted until 1 July 2020. We do not take this decision lightly, and realize this may disrupt your travel. We are all in this together, and we ask for your understanding. We will closely follow the spread of the pandemic and monitor its effects, while we work closely with the Government of Cabo Verde to ensure your safety and that of the populations on the four continents we connect.
Affected flights will be rebooked at no cost to you. And if you no longer wish to travel to the same destination, or wish to wait and decide later where and when to travel, we understand. We will allow you to use your flight’s voucher on a flight anytime in the coming year, through March 2021. There will be no change fees, and there is no fee if you book a flight closer to the time of travel which would normally have a higher ticket price – you will not pay the difference. We are all in this together. Disruptions for all our safety will not be at your expense.
As we have seen in China, this pandemic will pass. Countries will reopen borders. People will have a deeper appreciation for the joy of connecting in person with their loved ones abroad. Isolation brings the realization of how important personal contact is. We understand. When flights resume on 1 July, you will find us ready to serve. We will be implementing every safety measure the World Health Organization and governing international and national health organizations recommend, but we will be eager to greet you, eager to share the warm hospitality of Cabo Verde, eager to share in your journey, and eager to share in your joy of being reunited with loved ones.
We will overcome, we are all in this together, and we will again connect four continents for you and with you! Thank you for your understanding, may you and your loved ones remain safe and healthy until we can all be reunited.
Warm regards,
Erlendur Svavarsson
President and Chief Executive Officer
Cabo Verde Airlines