Prime minister annuls order from minister of infrastructure for the new Lisbon airport
António Costa says that the solution for reinforcing airport capacity in the region and Lisbon must be negotiated and agreed with the opposition.
The Portuguese prime minister has instructed the minister of infrastructure and housing to revoke the order published yesterday on the Lisbon region airport capacity expansion plan, António Costa’s office announces.
“The prime minister reaffirms that the solution has to be negotiated and agreed with the opposition, in particular with the main opposition party and, under no circumstances, without prior information to the president of the Republic,” says an statement sent to news outlets.
The Ministry of infrastructure on Wednesday announced a new solution to boost airport capacity in the Lisbon region that envisages the construction of an airport at the current Air Base No. 6 in Montijo by 2026, and another at Alcochete Shooting Range to start operating in 2035, which would replace the Humberto Delgado airport.
The new plan was outlined by an order from the secretary of state for infrastructure, Hugo Santos Mendes, which was published in the country’s official gazette yesterday. However, António Costa decided to revoke this order on Thursday.
“It is the prime minister’s responsibility to ensure the unity, credibility and collegiality of government action. The prime minister will proceed, as soon as possible, to hear the leader of the PSD [Social Democratic Party], who will begin his duties this weekend, to define the appropriate procedure for a national, political, technical, environmental and economically sustained decision,” reads the statement.
(article last updated at 10h48 am)
