The general coordinator of the independent technical commission studying the expansion of Lisbon’s airport capacity is working with three deadlines and stressed that the ideal airport must be an accessible, efficient and sustainable hub.
Rosário Partidário was speaking at the presentation by the Independent Technical Commission (CTI), which is taking place today in Lisbon, of the results of the activities carried out in the first phase of the Strategic Environmental Assessment on increasing airport capacity for the Lisbon region.
“We are working with three deadlines: the long term, the transition period and the short term,” she said.
Rosário Partidário explained that “what can be done to resolve or at least minimise short-term constraints” will be analysed, to be followed by a “transition period solution” and the long-term solution.
Rosário Partidário also said about some of the characteristics of the “ideal airport”: “Being a ‘hub’ means having high connectivity,” “the capacity for expansion movements,” being flexible and adaptable, as well as “economically viable” and with a “strong business model and diversified revenues.
She also said that the “ideal airport” should be close to the city centre, be multimodal and with multiple alternative accesses, as well as being served by rail.
It should also have at least two runways of over three kilometres with quick exits, be served by “handlings” and “super efficient borders”, as well as having security areas for new energies such as hydrogen or using renewable energies.
He also pointed out that CTI had met with 33 entities, including – according to a slide in the presentation – ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal, NAV Portugal – Navegação Aérea, TAP, EasyJet and Ryanair.
CTI announced this afternoon the final list of possible locations, with the aim of presenting a solution by the end of the year.
In an interview with Lusa in late January, university professor Rosário Macário, technical coordinator of CTI and a specialist in Transport Systems Planning and Operation, who was responsible for coordinating the airport planning area, said that Beja and Alverca had been included on the list of possible locations and that the committee was still open to receiving more proposals.
These two locations are in addition to the five proposals included in the Council of Ministers’ resolution approved last year, which set up a CTI to analyse five hypotheses for the Lisbon airport solution (Portela + Montijo; Montijo + Portela; Alcochete; Portela + Santarém; Santarém), but provided that other options could be added.
In recent days, the hypotheses of Monte Real (Leiria) and Alcochete + Portela have also been reported.
