TAAG Joins Westbrook Racing as Race Partner for Luanda E1 Grand Prix

September 9, 2026 in Companies, Foreign News, Travel & Tourism by Editor

TAAG Angola Airlines has joined Westbrook Racing by Visit Angola as an official Race Partner for the inaugural E1 Luanda GP, linking Angola’s national carrier with a global electric powerboat championship as the country seeks to promote its tourism and international profile.

 

TAAG Angola Airlines, Angola’s national carrier, has joined Westbrook Racing by Visit Angola as an official Race Partner for the inaugural E1 Luanda GP, strengthening the airline’s role in promoting Angola as an international travel and investment destination.

The partnership comes as the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) E1 World Championship makes its first appearance in Angola, with the Luanda Grand Prix scheduled for September 11–13, 2026.

Under the partnership, Westbrook Racing will travel to and from Angola with TAAG, while the airline’s brand will be prominently displayed on the wings of the team’s RaceBird during the three-day event.

The E1 World Championship is a global electric powerboat racing series that brings teams and drivers together to compete in high-performance, all-electric RaceBird boats on waterfront circuits in major cities. The championship combines competitive racing with a focus on clean technology and sustainability, using the international sporting platform to promote the transition towards electric mobility and cleaner marine transport. The Luanda GP will mark the championship’s first race in Angola.

For TAAG, the collaboration provides an opportunity to connect its aviation and tourism ambitions with a global sporting platform expected to attract international attention to Luanda.

The partnership also brings together three brands — TAAG, Westbrook Racing and title partner Visit Angola — in an effort to project a contemporary image of Angola through travel, sport and entertainment.

Miguel Carneiro, chief executive officer of TAAG Angola Airlines, said the arrival of E1 in Luanda offered an opportunity to showcase Angola to a global audience.

“As the national airline, TAAG is proud to welcome Westbrook Racing by Visit Angola and to be part of their journey to our country,” Carneiro said.

He said the partnership reflected TAAG’s purpose of connecting people, creating opportunities and encouraging international visitors to discover Angola.

The airline’s corporate positioning, “We make dreams fly,” will therefore be extended into a new sporting environment as TAAG seeks to reinforce its role as a connector between Angola, Africa and international markets.

For Westbrook Racing, the Luanda race marks another step in its growing relationship with Angola.

The team’s partnership with Visit Angola was announced in March 2026 following a visit to the country by team owner Will Smith. Since the second race of the E1 season, the team has competed under the Westbrook Racing by Visit Angola identity.

The Luanda GP will be the team’s first home race under the partnership, bringing the international championship to Angola while giving the team an opportunity to race before Angolan fans, business partners and other stakeholders.

Phil Allen, team principal of Westbrook Racing by Visit Angola, said TAAG was a natural partner for the team’s first race in Angola.

“Together, we have an opportunity to use the international platform of E1 to showcase the energy and ambition of Angola,” Allen said.

The team will be represented on the water by Sara Price and Lucas Ordóñez, as Westbrook Racing competes in its first home event in Luanda.

Beyond the sporting competition, the partnership highlights the increasingly important role of airlines in destination marketing, where national carriers can serve as ambassadors for tourism, trade and investment.

For TAAG, association with E1 offers another international platform through which to market Angola at a time when the country is seeking to expand its global tourism profile and strengthen connectivity.

The Luanda event could consequently provide more than a showcase for electric powerboat racing. It brings together aviation, tourism, sport and destination branding in an effort to present Angola to international audiences as a modern and increasingly connected destination.

The E1 World Championship, which features all-electric RaceBird boats, is designed around a global series of races in major waterfront cities.

For Luanda, hosting the championship also provides an opportunity to place the Angolan capital on the international sporting calendar while creating a platform for local and international brands to engage with audiences beyond the traditional aviation and tourism markets.