According to Executive Digest, confirmation of the start of the arbitration process was given to Jornal de Negócios by the Ministry of Infrastructure. The manager of national airports had already expressed its intention to resort to arbitration in 2022, but the process was only formally initiated in March this year, as indicated in the company's management report and accounts for 2023.

The issue revolves around the request for restoration of financial balance (REF) made by ANA in the third quarter of 2021, due to the impact of Covid-19. Companies such as Fertagus and Metro Sul do Tejo also made similar requests. In October 2022, the Government announced, in the report accompanying the State Budget proposal for 2023, that ANA's request for a REF of 214 million euros was the only one accounted for but was never paid.

In 2020, ANA's revenues fell by 69% to 262.4 million euros, resulting in a loss of 72.1 million, in contrast to the profit of 300 million recorded in 2019.

At the same time, negotiations for the construction of the new Luís de Camões airport, in Alcochete, are also on the agenda. The ANA management report highlights the need to renegotiate some terms of the concession contract, a process that should take place between 2024 and 2025.