The Resolutions of the Council of Ministers that define the location of the new Luís de Camões Airport, reinforce the capacity of Humberto Delgado Airport, and continue studies for the construction of a third crossing of the Tagus and for the high-speed Lisbon-Madrid railway have been published in the Diário da República, officially coming into force this Tuesday.

As had been announced, the Government determined that the new airport, which has been “the subject of discussion for the last 50 years”, should “be located at Campo de Tiro de Alcochete and fully replace” the current Lisbon airport, assuming the named Luís de Camões Airport.

The step has now been taken to officially open negotiations with the concessionaire, ANA Aeroportos. The company owned by the French company Vinci has six months to prepare the initial report. Next, the State requests that the application for the New Lisbon Airport (NAL) be prepared. Preparing the application, which includes a consultation report, an environmental impact study, a financial report, and a technical report, could take another 36 months. Deadlines that the Executive wants to shorten.

The diploma also mandates the Minister of Finance, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, and the Minister of Infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz, “to carry out all subsequent and necessary acts to be carried out within the scope of this Resolution, namely within the scope of the Concession Contract Airport Public Service at Airports Located in Mainland Portugal and in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, concluded on December 14, 2012, between the Portuguese State and ANA”.

The Resolution relating to the new airport also determines “that all acts necessary for the implementation of this resolution must be guided by criteria of speed, economic rationality, and efficiency”.

“With regard to the location of the new Lisbon airport, the Government understands that the construction of a new international airport at Campo de Tiro de Alcochete, which fully replaces Humberto Delgado Airport, presents, in view of all other options, considered, the greatest comparative advantages", states the Resolution of the Council of Ministers signed by the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, on May 14th.


45 flights per hour in Lisbon

A second Resolution “provides for measures to reinforce the capacity of Humberto Delgado Airport”, instructing ANA to develop “the phased investment plan for Humberto Delgado Airport, in close cooperation with other competent entities”, improving the infrastructure to accommodate greater capacity until the new airport is ready.

The diploma also instructs NAV to develop “a plan to expand the capacity of Lisbon's airspace with a view to reaching 45 movements per hour, with the possibility of adding another two by air traffic to/from the Cascais municipal aerodrome”.

It also constitutes “a monitoring group for the process of expanding the capacity of Humberto Delgado Airport”, coordinated by Pinto Luz, “with the participation of a representative from the Ministry of National Defense, as well as representatives from other entities involved in this process”.

“As the Government has decided, as a definitive solution, to develop a new, modular airport in Alcochete, its construction implies that a solution must be found to accommodate the growth in demand over the coming years. According to the report of the Independent Technical Commission, the new Lisbon airport will never be operational before the year 2030. In this sense, it becomes clear that, in the short and medium term, the solution is based on strengthening the capacity of Humberto Airport Delgado”, explains the prime minister in an introduction accompanying the diploma.

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