Lisbon Luís de Camões Airport
Luís de Camões Airport Aeroporto Luís de Camões | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | ANA Aeroportos de Portugal | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Lisbon metropolitan area | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Alcochete | ||||||||||||||
| Opened | 2034 (projected) | ||||||||||||||
| Hub for | TAP Air Portugal | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 211–213 ft / 50–55 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 38°46′N 8°48′W / 38.767°N 8.800°W | ||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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Luís de Camões Airport (Portuguese: Aeroporto Luís de Camões) is a planned airport located in Montijo, Portugal, in the municipality of Alcochete, Setúbal District, 30 km (19 mi) by road from Lisbon, on the current site of the Montijo Air Base. It is projected to be completed in 2034, at which time the existing Lisbon Airport will be shut down. It is projected to cost up to €9 billion and will be funded from European Union funds, public-private partnerships, and airport tariffs. It will have the capability of meeting projected demand of 100 million passengers annually by 2050, an increase from current Lisbon air traffic of approximately 30 million passengers per year.[1][2] The airport will have two runways with capacity for up to 95 movements per hour with the possibility of expanding to up to four runways.[3][4] The airport is named after 16th century poet Luís de Camões.
History
[edit]After years of debate on a location for a new airport near Lisbon, including the possibility of building the Ota Airport, in 2008, a location in Alcochete was chosen since it is more accessible due to nearby infrastructure such as the Vasco da Gama Bridge.[5] Construction started in 2010; however, shortly thereafter, forced by the 2010–2014 Portuguese financial crisis and an international bailout, the project was put on hold.[6]
In 2017, Ryanair was a major proponent of converting the Montijo Air Base into a facility for low-cost carriers; the company said that the new airport could be operational with as little as €25 million.[3]
In October 2019, Portugal's environmental agency gave approval for construction of the airport if its meets certain conditions including sound insulation requirements and restrictions on flights between midnight and 6AM.[7]
In March 2021, the National Authority of Civil Aviation of Portugal rejected the formal evaluation request for construction of the airport submitted by airport operator ANA Aeroportos de Portugal, citing disagreements with the nearby municipalities as well as environmental concerns. The government then evaluated changing the law or selecting another location for the airport.[8]
In May 2024, the Portuguese government announced that the new airport will be built in Alcochete and will be ready in 2034.[1][9][10] The decision followed the possibility of building the airport on the nearby Tagus Estuary Natural Reserve, opposed by environmental groups.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Rua, Patrícia Vicente; Demony, Catarina; Goncalves, Sergio (14 May 2024). "Portugal to build new airport across the river from Lisbon". Reuters.
- ^ Dunn, Graham (17 May 2024). "Portugal formally selects military airfield site for new Lisbon international hub airport". FlightGlobal.
- ^ a b "Lisbon Luís de Camões Airport". CAPA.
- ^ "Airports of the future: 19 weird and wonderful terminals under construction". The Daily Telegraph. 4 February 2016. ISSN 0307-1235.
- ^ "Location of new Lisbon airport decided". CAPA. 9 April 2008.
- ^ "Saturated Lisbon airport puts Portugal tourism boom at risk". France 24. Agence France-Presse. 7 October 2018.
- ^ Demony, Catarina; Goncalves, Sergio (31 October 2019). "New Lisbon airport gets green light from environment watchdog". Reuters.
- ^ Demony, Catarina (2 March 2021). "Plan for new Lisbon airport blocked, government pushes for solution". Reuters.
- ^ "New Lisbon airport location announced". The Portugal News. 14 May 2024.
- ^ "New airport location official". The Portugal News. 27 May 2024.
- ^ "Portugal abandons plans to build new airport on nature reserve following lawsuit" (Press release). ClientEarth. 16 May 2024.