The new tariff scheme will be in force between 1 April and 31 December, 2021, the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) said in a statement released on 19 March.

In the statement, the regulator said it had decided to "approve the tariff proposal" submitted by concessionaire ANA - Aeroportos de Portugal for Porto airport, which "sets out an average reduction of around 6.95 percent in traffic and ground handling fees," and "offset the increase in the PRM [passengers with reduced mobility] rate and Security in the passenger rate, in order to cancel out the effect for airlines of the increases proposed for those fees.

Also approved was the tariff proposal for Faro airport, which "configures an average reduction of around 15.5 percent in the traffic and ground handling charges and around 24.1 percent in the passenger service charge and offsets the increase in the PRM and Security charges in the passenger charge".

Similarly, ANAC deliberated to approve the tariff proposal for all Lisbon Group airports (Beja, Ponta Delgada, Santa Maria, Horta, Flores, Madeira and Porto Santo), with the exception of Humberto Delgado Airport.

"At the Lisbon Group's smaller airports, despite the increase in Security and PMR charges (which will be offset by the proposed reduction in the passenger charge), the set of traffic and ground handling charges remained mostly unchanged from the 2020 values," it notes.

Also approved by the regulator were the proposed PMR fee of €0.62 per passenger and the security fee of €2.95 per chargeable embarking passenger, which in both cases are identical for all airports in the ANA network.

Regarding Lisbon airport, ANA decided to suspend the approval of ANA's tariff proposal, pending an agreement with the State on the deferral of the recovery of the 2017 and 2018 deficits.

"This authority should be informed, by 15 April, about any agreement between grantor [State] and concessionaire [ANA - Aeroportos de Portugal] regarding the interpretation of the concession contract regarding the possibility of deferring the recovery of the revenue deficit due to estimation errors," the regulator said.

It adds, "if no agreement is reached between the parties by 15 April 2021, ANAC will approve the tariff for Humberto Delgado Airport, under the terms proposed by the concession holder".