New airport in Portugal back on the table

Portugal’s government will move forward with the Strategic Environmental Assessment process of three solutions for boosting airport capacity in Lisbon, with the Alcochete location once again on the table.

In a statement, the ministry of infrastructure explained that the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) would “assess and compare” three solutions: the current dual solution, in which Lisbon Airport will remain the main airport and Montijo as a secondary site, an alternative dual solution, in which Montijo Airport will gradually become main airport and Lisbon Airport as a secondary site, and the construction of a new Lisbon international airport at Campo de Tiro de Alcochete.

The negative opinions issued by Seixal and Moita councils and no opinion by Alcochete led the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) to refuse to issue a prior opinion on Montijo airport’s feasibility, according to a source linked to the process.

Legislation dictates that there must be “favourable opinion from all the municipal councils of the municipalities potentially affected, either for clearance surfaces or for environmental reasons” for ANAC to make the “technical assessment of the merit of the project” related to aeronautical issues (landing and take-off).

The process reached the aviation regulator with two favourable opinions from the councils of Barreiro and Montijo, two unfavourable, from Seixal and Moita, and no opinion from the Alcochete council.

ANAC said on Tuesday that it must reject outright the request made by ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal, in compliance with the principle of legality and the binding command of the legislature contained in the aforementioned legal provision, “as there is no place for the technical assessment of the merit of the project.”