Resolution that creates the Luís de Camões airport in Alcochete was published this Monday in the Diário da República, together with capacity reinforcement in Lisbon and a new bridge over the Tagus.
The Resolutions of the Council of Ministers that define the location of the new Luís de Camões Airport, reinforce the capacity of Humberto Delgado Airport and continue studies for the construction of a third crossing of the Tagus and for the high-speed Lisbon-Madrid railway were this second published in the Official Gazette, officially coming into force this Tuesday.
As had been announced, the Government determines that the new airport, which has been “the subject of discussion for the last 50 years”, should “be located at Campo de Tiro de Alcochete and fully replace” the current Lisbon airport, assuming the named Luís de Camões Airport.
The step has now been taken to officially open negotiations with the concessionaire , ANA Aeroportos. The company owned by French company Vinci has six months to prepare the initial report. Next, the State requests that the application for the New Lisbon Airport (NAL) be prepared. Preparing the application, which includes a consultation report, an environmental impact study, a financial report and a technical report, could take another 36 months. Deadlines that the Executive wants to shorten.“Government accepts the single airport as a solution”Read more
The diploma also mandates the Minister of Finance, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, and the Minister of Infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz, “to carry out all subsequent and necessary acts to be carried out within the scope of this Resolution , namely within the scope of the Concession Contract of Airport Public Service at Airports Located in Mainland Portugal and in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, concluded on December 14, 2012, between the Portuguese State and ANA”.
The Resolution relating to the new airport also determines “that all acts necessary for the implementation of this resolution must be guided by criteria of speed, economic rationality and efficiency”.
“With regard to the location of the new Lisbon airport, the Government understands that the construction of a new international airport at Campo de Tiro de Alcochete, which fully replaces Humberto Delgado Airport, presents, in the face of all other options, considered, the greatest comparative advantages ”, states the Resolution of the Council of Ministers signed by the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, on May 14th.
45 movements per hour in Lisbon
A second Resolution “provides for measures to reinforce the capacity of Humberto Delgado Airport”, instructing ANA to develop “the phased investment plan for Humberto Delgado Airport, in close cooperation with other competent entities”, improving the infrastructure to accommodate greater capacity until the new airport is ready.
An increase that the Government justifies with the growth in demand over the next decade and a half. “Based on traffic projections from the International Air Transport Association, Eurocontrol, Altitude and the International Civil Aviation Organization, in a base scenario, between 38 and 49 million passengers are expected by 2040, reinforcing the idea that the high The demand must be met with the introduction of significant improvements to the current Lisbon airport”, justifies the Resolution.
In this context, “it is a priority to ensure the necessary investments at Humberto Delgado Airport, which allow it to reach an annual traffic volume of 40-45 million passengers, which implies, in addition to investments in airport subsystems (runway, taxiways, aprons) parking, terminals and accessibility), an increase in the number of movements .”
In this context, the diploma also instructs NAV to develop “a plan to expand the capacity of Lisbon’s airspace with a view to reaching 45 movements per hour , with the possibility of adding another two by air traffic to/from the Cascais municipal aerodrome ”.NAV points to 52 movements/hour in the Lisbon regionRead more
It also constitutes “a monitoring group for the process of expanding the capacity of Humberto Delgado Airport”, coordinated by Pinto Luz , “with the participation of a representative from the Ministry of National Defense, as well as representatives from other entities involved in this process”.
The Resolution also determines that the National Civil Aviation Authority, in close collaboration with the Ministry of National Defense, presents “alternatives that allow permanent civil use of the space allocated to Transit Aerodrome no. military public.”
“As the Government has decided, as a definitive solution, to develop a new, modular airport in Alcochete, its construction implies that a solution must be found to accommodate the growth in demand over the next few years . According to the report of the Independent Technical Commission, the new Lisbon airport would never be operational before the year 2030. In this sense, it becomes clear that, in the short and medium term, the solution is based on strengthening the capacity of Humberto Airport Delgado”, explains the prime minister in an introduction that accompanies the diploma.
A third resolution was also approved that “mandates Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) to complete studies on the third crossing of the Tagus and the high-speed connection between Lisbon and Madrid ”.
(News updated at 11:30 am with more information)