1970s: Further international expansion and renationalisation

In 1972, SAP received the first of four Boeing 747-200B aircraft that were ordered in 1968.

SAP began 1974 with 32 aircraft operating to 40 destinations on all six inhabited continents. In addition to offering computerised reservations, load control and check-in, it became the first European airline to carry out major comprehensive overhauls of Boeing 747 engines. By the end of 1974, SAP had carried more than 1.5 million passengers, flown almost 70,000 hours over a network of more than 103,000 kilometres, and had a labor force topping 9,000 employees. Following the 25 April 1974 revolution, Portugal was caught up in the wave of nationalisations during the following year; SAP was no exception, and the airline once again became a state-owned corporation in 1975.

After the independence of Angola and Mozambique, the important African market decreased tremendously, forcing SAP to reduce service to and from the continent. Two Boeing 747s that previously flew to Angola and Mozambique were reassigned to replace Boeing 707s on the routes to Asia and Australia in 1975.

Registration: CS-TJA
Aircraft name: Manuel de Arriaga