Lisbon, May 20, 2025 (Lusa) - Airlines consider that the proposal by Portugal's airports managing company, ANA, for the construction of the new Lisbon airport in Alcochete went "beyond what the law requires" and that the proposal to increase airport charges is "doomed to failure".
"At this moment, the proposal should be seen, metaphorically speaking, almost as a declaration of intent by ANA - Aeroportos that it wants and is available [to move forward with the new airport], within the scope of the concession contract and within the scope of the laws that govern it," said António Moura Portugal, executive director of the association of airlines in Portugal (RENA), in an interview with Lusa.
The national airport manager proposes to extend the current concession for another 30 years and gradually increase airport charges from 2026 to 2030 to finance Lisbon's new airport infrastructure, estimated to cost €8.5 billion, according to the initial report delivered at the end of last year.
The current contract, signed in 2012, provides for a 50-year concession. If this proposal goes ahead, the term would be extended until 2092.
The head of RENA believes that "this proposal by ANA goes beyond what the concession contract requires and what the law requires".
He prefers not to comment on the extension of the concession contract, as it is up to the grantor, i.e. the State, to decide. However, he notes "with satisfaction the State's concern in having created a mission structure, [a specific working group], to deal with ANA on this point".
As for the proposal to raise fees, he has "an unequivocal position of complete and absolute opposition. Opposition from the point of view of justice and almost common sense," he commented.
"It makes no sense to be at a stage where we don't even have a final project to raise fees in 2026 to finance infrastructure that is not yet known [...] and we don't know how long it will take to implement," he argued.
For airlines, "it makes no sense to ask today's users to pay for something that is not even tangible, and we don't even know if it will happen in the future. And who will profit from the operation of the future airport [in Alcochete], including the commercial phases, is ANA," he stressed.
He also recalled that there was a similar situation in the past, when the government raised tolls on the 25 de Abril bridge to finance the construction of the Vasco da Gama bridge, which "gave rise to the famous car horn honking protest" on 24 June 1994.
In addition to this dispute, António Moura Portugal recalls that there is a Constitutional Court ruling "which made it clear that there must be a link between the tax or charge paid and the infrastructure being financed. And it seems clear to me that this is not being done," he criticised.
Asked whether this case could be used as a precedent for possible legal action, the RENA spokesperson said he did not even believe that the concessionaire would go ahead with the idea.
"ANA knows that this is a proposal that will be voted down. If they insist on doing so, we will be here to oppose it," he assured, noting that the airport operator still has nearly 36 months to present the final project.
As for the work being done at Lisbon's current Humberto Delgado Airport and the impact it may have on summer operations, he says it is "a necessary evil." But he guarantees that it is not having a negative effect on operations, not least because "it is still in its early stages."
He points out that "living with the current airport means trying to have an efficient airport that operates well’ until it is discontinued when the new airport becomes operational.
ANA expects the new airport infrastructure, named Luís de Camões Airport, to open in mid-2037, or, with optimisations to the schedule to be negotiated with the Government, at the end of 2036.
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