Lisbon’s municipal assembly is demanding that the government tighten fines for “flying outside of the proper schedule.”

Lisbon’s municipal assembly decided on Tuesday, on a PAN proposal, to ask the government to increase fines for serious and very serious offenses for “flights out of schedule”, in particular at night, at Humberto Delgado airport.

“It is imperative that the law is enforced by preventing night flights, as is already happening in several European cities,” defended PAN municipal deputy Antonio Morgado Valente, in a proposal to limit night flights at Lisbon airport, which began the sound of noise caused by planes flying over the city.

The noise of planes taking off and landing at the Humberto Delgado airport in Lisbon disturbs the rest of the residents “because it is daily, continuous and illegal, when planes arrive and depart at four in the morning, violating the exclusion regime that serves, strictly speaking, only for emergencies , but daily disrespectful, without the actions of the authorities to protect citizens,” he said.

Antonio Morgado Valente said that the current legislation, which is more than 20 years old, limits night traffic from 00:00 to 06:00 and, barring force majeure, up to 26 air services per day and 91 per week are allowed during this period.

The PAN MP referred to the fact that the exclusion regime was established in 2004 with the hosting of the European Football Championship in Portugal and stated that the current situation without a forecast of a reduction in air traffic in Lisbon, since the construction of a new airport continues to be postponed, requires action from government.

One of the proposals submitted was intended to reduce “to 10 flights a day and 40 a week” night flights from 00:00 to 06:00, leaving permission to fly depending on the noise level of the aircraft used, but this was rejected, with PSD, IL, PPM and Chega voted against, PS, Aliança and CDS-PP abstained, while BE, Livre, PEV, PCP, two independents from Cidadãos Por Lisboa (elected by PS/Livre coalition), PAN and MPT.

From the PAN proposal, it was approved to ask the Government to “strengthen the minimum and maximum fines contained in Article 9 of Decree-Law No. 10/2004 of January 9, in respect of serious and very serious actions practiced by a large company, in order to nullify the economic benefit and render disincentive effect on the practice of flights outside the appropriate schedule.

This was made possible by votes against PEV, PCP, IL, PPM and Chega, abstentions from PS, Aliança and CDS-PP, and votes for BE, Livre, two MPs from Cidadãos, PSD, PAN and MPT. .

Currently, under the regime applicable to civil aviation offenses, serious offenses committed by a large company are punishable by a fine of 2,000 to 5,000 euros, and especially serious offenses by a fine of 10,000 to 30,000 euros.

The municipal group PS, the same government party, did not interfere in the discussion of the PAN proposal, deciding to abstain on both points.

From the PSD, Louis Newton justified the vote against reducing air travel from 00:00 to 06:00 as a “more permissive” proposal than measures currently being debated in the Assembly of the Republic, saying that “PSD stands for zero flights during this period” .

During the discussion, the PCP defended the view that the “cure” for the problem is the construction of a new airport, and Chega believed that “it is unacceptable that since 1969 the construction of a new airport has been discussed.”

The IL also emphasized that the discussion has been going on for 50 years and “they continue to play on locations”, appealing to the consensus of the parties to find a solution.