In an interview with Sábado magazine, Leão said: “In the Stability Program, we already predicted around €1 billion euros for the year, €990 million [compared to €970 million this year]", adding that the money will serve "to capitalise TAP and to ensure that it has the adequate financial ratios that allow it to be a credible company that can function healthily”.

When asked about the risks of not approving TAP's restructuring plan, the government official said that he is working so that it can be approved.

“We don't see any reason why it shouldn't pass,” he maintained.

Executive President Christine Ourmières-Widener is tasked with carrying out the airline's restructuring plan, proposed to the European Commission in December last year, but which has not yet received a green light.

Christine Ourmières-Widener also said that the collective dismissal that the company is carrying out will cover 78 workers, below the 124 planned.

In 2021, the Government injected €970 million into TAP, a measure classified as temporary and whose effect on public accounts is to be reversed in 2022 and 2023, according to the Stability Program (PE).

After the injection of €970 million "to be adopted" in 2021, the Government foresees that the effect of €170 million of this will be reversed in 2022, estimating the same for the remaining €800 million in 2023.

On 12 March, the Government presented the European Commission with a notification for the granting of financial aid to TAP of up to €463 million that "will allow the airline to guarantee liquidity until the approval of the restructuring plan".

In 2020, TAP returned to state control, which now holds 72.5 percent of its capital, after the company was severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the European Commission authorised state aid of up to €1,200 million to the Portuguese flag carrier.