Some sites for new Lisbon airport face rejection

An independent technical commission which has begun working on studying various locations for Lisbon’s new international airport has admitted it may reject some of the options put forward by the Portuguese government.

The commission will involve bodies such as the air traffic control authority NAV, the Portuguese Civil Aviation Authority ANAC and ANA which runs the nation’s airports, as well as members of the public.
A final report which will suggest the best option for Lisbon’s new international airport will be handed to the government by the end of the year.
In an interview with Público, the commission’s coordinator Rosário Partidário has admitted that some of the options handed in by the government may fall by the wayside.
“We will welcome all of the proposals that we receive and study them accordingly. There will be an interactive map where people can indicate with a little plane their choice”, she says.
There will be at least 20 criteria that will affect the final outcome. In October a preliminary report will be issued. In November a public consultation phase will begin. By the end of the year the final report will be delivered.
When asked if following a filtering of the options there will be more than five options on the table, the coordinator said: “I doubt it. In fact, there will be less” and that some options put forward by the government may “even be ruled out”.
“The ex-Minister of Infrastructure (Pedro Nuno Santos) and former Secretary of State both had given their assurances to support the studies and accept the results and it is hoped that the new minister (João Galamba) will continue to agree (with the results)”, says coordinator Rosário Partidário.
The options are to either keep the current Humberto Delgado airport as the main airport and Montijo as a secondary, or to go with a solution of Montijo progressively acquiring the status of main airport and Humberto Delgado of a secondary airport.
A third choice is for Alcochete fully replace Humberto Delgado, while a fourth option keeps the current airport as the main option with Santarém acting as a secondary airport. Finally, there is the option of creating one new international airport at Santarém and closing the existing Humberto Delgado airport at Portela.