Portugal warns Vinci not to delay new Lisbon airport

Portugal’s infrastructure minister has warned Vinci, the owner of airport operator ANA, not to use excuses to delay construction of Lisbon’s new airport, a project the government sees as strategically important after linking it to the sale of a 49.9% stake in TAP to Lufthansa for €1.201 billion.

In an interview with Expresso, Miguel Pinto Luz said the government is willing to discuss whether the project could be completed in 2035 or 2036, starting with one runway and adding a second later. But he made clear the timetable must be respected. “We want to work with Vinci, but we have to meet deadlines and we will meet them,” he said, adding that Vinci should not “come up with excuses”.

Pinto Luz also said the new Lisbon airport, to be called Luís de Camões, was “essential” in the negotiations with Lufthansa over TAP. The comments suggest the government sees progress on airport capacity as part of the broader case for investment in Portugal’s aviation sector.

Asked about possible remedies from the European Commission’s competition arm over the TAP-Lufthansa deal, the minister said he believed DG Comp was operating in “a new reality after the Draghi report”, which he said supports consolidation to create European champions.

Originally published at Eco.pt