Lisbon's long-delayed planning process for a long-delayed second airport may be inching a little closer to a conclusion with a report from an 'independent technical commission' that was tasked with analyzing the options and their pluses and minuses.
The city's close-in Humberto Delgado Airport in the Portela neighborhood is slot-constricted and near capacity. A decision in 2018 to convert an Air Force base across the river in Montijo came within weeks of a construction start in 2019 when the project was pulled over environmental concerns and claims that it was too far away. Over the next few years, before the creation of the commission, the list of possibilities had grown to 17.
Montijo is still on the list, as is a site at Campo de Tiro de Alcochete and one at Santarem, with the commission adding additional sites. Also in the mix is whether the existing airport should continue to be the main airport or become secondary to a new one.
Michael O'Leary, the outspoken CEO of Ryanair, a major carrier at Lisbon, has told the government it should go ahead with Montijo, instead of considering locations like Santarem which he described as "in the middle of nowhere." His argument for Montijo is that there are existing runways, and only a terminal is needed.
The actual decision will be made by the Portuguese cabinet, but this time it will have a clearer picture when the report is presented next week. The group was tasked last year to analyze five possibilities, but added four others. Once the report is released there will be a 30-day comment period before the Cabinet makes a decision.
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