Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) celebrated Cabo Verde Airlines’ inaugural flight Monday between the National Capital Region and Sal, Cabo Verde’s Amílcar Cabral International Airport (SID).

“We are beyond pleased to welcome Cabo Verde Airlines to the Dulles International family,” said Yil Surehan, vice president of Airline Business Development for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. “As the only air carrier offering nonstop service between the National Capital Region and Cape Verde, Cabo Verde Airlines provides travelers with unprecedented accessibility not only to the country’s coveted leisure destinations, but convenient connections to popular locations in West Africa, South America, and beyond.”

“We are very pleased to launch a new route to Washington, D.C.,” said Jens Bjarnason, chief executive officer of Cabo Verde Airlines. “The National Capital Region previously had few air service connections to Africa, giving this new route a great potential for success.”

Passengers on the new transatlantic route travel nonstop aboard Boeing 757 aircraft, as the airline builds its Sal hub to create even more opportunities for travel between the United States and West Africa. From Sal, Washington, D.C., travelers can connect to Lagos, Nigeria and Dakar, Senegal, as well as to Brazilian leisure destinations Fortaleza, Recife and Salvador.

Washington, D.C., becomes Cabo Verde Airlines’ second North American passenger service gateway. Service details for the route include:

Monday’s Cabo Verde Airlines launch is only the latest new air service route from Dulles International in 2019, which saw passenger activity increase by more than 5 percent last year. Washington Dulles is the leading international airport in the National Capital Region, with 35 airlines offering 70 daily nonstop flights to more than 57 foreign destinations across the globe. 

About Cabo Verde Airlines

Cabo Verde Airlines is a scheduled air carrier, operating an international hub at Sal’s Amílcar Cabral International Airport (SID). Since November 2009, Cabo Verde Airlines has been an active member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The company currently maintains a management agreement with Reykjavík-based Loftleidir Icelandic, a subsidiary of Icelandair Group. For questions or bookings, please call Cabo Verde Airlines at 1-866-359-8228. Trade inquiries can be directed by phone to 480-607-2556 or via email to [email protected]. 

About the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority operates the U.S. Capital Region’s gateways to the nation and the world, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport, as well as the Dulles Airport Access Highway, the Dulles Toll Road and construction of the Silver Line project, a 23-mile extension of the Metrorail public transit system through northern Virginia. 47.5 million passengers passed through the two airports in 2018.

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