Lisbon, Feb. 5, 2025 (Lusa) - Ryanair's CEO, Michael O'Leary, said on Wednesday that Portugal's airports operating company, ANA's intention to increase fees at Lisbon airport to pay for the construction of Alcochete airport, which is not expected to be ready for another 15 years, is "a fraud".
"[ANA's claim] that it needs to raise prices at Portela (Lisbon airport) now in order to build Alcochete is a fraud," accused the head of the Irish airline at a press conference in Lisbon to announce four new routes in Portugal and two more aeroplanes in the summer.
Michael O'Leary argued that "passengers who use Portela shouldn't pay for Alcochete", which "isn't due to open until 2040".
ANA Aeroportos was instructed by the government to submit a bid to build a new airport, at the Alcochete Shooting Range, after an initial report in which it proposed increasing airport taxes as early as next year.
According to ANA's proposal, the new infrastructure should be ready between 2036 and 2037.
"If we have to wait for Alcochete in 2040, or 2050, it's too late, build [the airport in] Montijo now," emphasised the CEO.
For Ryanair, Portugal has "enormous potential for growth" in air transport, but it is being held back by "artificial restrictions" at Lisbon airport to protect the country's flag carrier, TAP, in order to privatise it.
As for the decision on the location of the new airport, "the option that takes the longest", as he pointed out, O'Leary labelled it "typical government stupidity designed to pretend that they are doing something".
"I'm not going to see Alcochete in my lifetime," emphasised the 63-year-old CEO.
The airline announced four new routes in Portugal this summer, one from Porto to Rome and three from Madeira to Milan (Italy), Shannon (Ireland) and Bournemouth (United Kingdom), bringing the total to 169, as well as two new aeroplanes, one based in Madeira and the other in Faro, a growth which, he emphasised, will only be regional.
Ryanair has therefore urgently requested more capacity at Lisbon airport, where it also wants to grow but says it can't, and considers that "ANA's monopoly is damaging tourism and job growth in Portugal".
If capacity in Lisbon is increased, the company has pledged to "double traffic in Portugal from 13 million to 27 million passengers per year by 2030", "create 500 new jobs for pilots, cabin crew and engineers" also by 2030 and "base 16 new aircraft" at the six airports where it is present in the country.
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