>"To move towards zero flights at night" is the objective, said the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Pedro Nuno Santos, referring that this is "a fair requirement" of the Mayor of Lisbon.

In a parliamentary hearing at the Commission for Economy, Innovation, Public Works and Housing, the minister indicated that the airport Humberto Delgado registers “40 movements per hour” and that the expansion project is not to increase the movement.

"What we need is to modernize our airport so that it can operate with the fluidity that it does not have today", pointed out the minister, considering that this is a "great imperfection" in the current airport of Lisbon.

Thus, the works at the airport may allow conditions for the “elimination of night flights”, namely avoiding flight delays and even cancelling night movements that are provided for in the law, said Pedro Nuno Santos.

In this context, the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) is inspecting airlines regarding the observance of flight schedules and imposing fines in case of non-compliance, particularly at night.

The concern about night flights was raised by PAN deputy Cristina Rodrigues who questioned the Lisbon airport expansion project, the systematic increase in the number of flights, noting that at night, between 12am and 6am, Lisbon admits 26 movements, and that this poses a risk to public health due to its proximity to the city.

From the BE bench, deputy Isabel Pires said that the issue of movements at Lisbon airport is a concern of residents' associations, saying that it is “an added problem”.

"He still wants to ignore that we are on top of a city", warned the blocker, referring to the location of the airport Humberto Delgado, in Lisbon.

On Tuesday, 18 February, the Mayor of Lisbon, Fernando Medina, assured that the municipality will not tolerate the return of night flights at Humberto Delgado airport, considering that such a decision would be “absolutely unacceptable”.

"We will not tolerate the return of night flights in the city of Lisbon again, we will not tolerate", said Fernando Medina, at the meeting of the Municipal Assembly that took place on 18 February.

Considering that the situation that existed until a few weeks ago, before the suspension of night flights due to the works that are being carried out at the airport, was “truly unacceptable”, Fernando Medina (PS) said he had already transmitted “to whom the right” its “total, frontal and complete opposition” when resuming from landings and take-offs during the night.