Alcochete and Vendas Novas are viable options for a new airport.

An independent technical committee identified Alcochete as the most advantageous solution for the new airport.

According to a report published on the commission’s website, the Alcochet shooting range option has the greatest advantages among two viable solutions for an intercontinental “hub” (an airport that functions as a flight distribution platform). (KTI).

Alcochete and Vendas Novas are two options that an independent technical committee has identified “from a territorial point of view” as viable for a new airport, together with Humberto Delgado, until it is possible to move to a single infrastructure.

According to the preliminary report of the independent technical committee responsible for the strategic environmental assessment of increasing airport capacity in the Lisbon region, which examined nine options, the solutions of Humberto Delgado + Campo de Tiro de Alcochete are viable until only Alcochete remains with minimal with two lanes, and Humberto Delgado + Vendas Novas, until only Vendas Novas remains, also with at least two lanes.

The president of the Independent Technical Commission, Rosario Partidariu, said in a presentation of a preliminary technical report that Rio Frio and Poseirão’s strategic options for the location of the new airport had fallen due to “inconsistency with the conditions.”

The Humberto Delgado + Montijo and Montijo hub options were classified as “impossible for an intercontinental hub” for aviation, environmental and economic-financial reasons “due to their limited ability to expand air connectivity.”

Humberto Delgado + Santarem and Santarem as a single airport “are not an option for aviation (air navigation) reasons,” CTI noted.

The independent technical committee studying the new airport believes it is inevitable that it will start with a dual model, which could be converted to a single airport after the closure of Portela Airport.

“A dual solution must inevitably come first, the strategy will always be a dual option with an additional airport, preferably in a location where it can later become a single airport,” said the president of the independent technical committee (CTI), which presented a preliminary report to the National Civil Laboratory Construction (LNEC) on a strategic environmental assessment for increasing airport capacity in the Lisbon region.

Rosario Partidario stressed that the Humberto Delgado Airport in Portela can only close when another infrastructure is available that can replace it.

Regarding the closure of Portela, the President of CTI considered that there is currently no need to make this decision urgently, “although its closure should be envisaged”, especially since the concession agreement with ANA/Vinci configures the Portela infrastructure as a single airport and “in In this case, it should close.”

“The conclusion that can be drawn from a strictly environmental and public health point of view is that Humberto Delgado Airport must close, but it is also a fact that profitability is a very strong financial asset, so we would say that it depends , what is the future evolution,” the person in charge emphasized, emphasizing that the “hub” [aeroporto que funciona como plataforma de distribuição de voos] an intercontinental airport works best at a single airport.”

Regarding the proximity to the city of Lisbon, which CTI considers “very important”, Rosario Partidario noted that “the territorial occupation was somewhat extensive and did not correspond to the space reserves required for the construction of a new airport.”

Rosario Partidario said the construction of the new airport does not require government funding and all options are financially viable.

A Council of Ministers resolution approved last year established the CTI to analyze five hypotheses for solving the Lisbon airport problem, but predicted that other options could be added, which is what happened.

The report will then be subject to public consultation for 30 working days, after which the CTI, after assessing the “rationality, merits, feasibility and technical significance of each of these contributions in light of the decision-making factors,” will then make a decision. final report.

With the preparation of this final report, the CTI’s mandate will be completed.

The five options initially considered include a dual solution, with Humberto Delgado Airport (AHD) as a primary airport and Montijo as a secondary airport; another alternative dual solution, in which Montijo Airport will gradually acquire the status of a main airport, and AHD – a complementary one; construction of a new international airport in Campo de Tiro de Alcochete (CTA), which will completely replace AHD; another dual solution, in which AHD will have the status of a main airport and a complementary airport in Santarém; and the construction of a new international airport in Santarem, which will completely replace AHD.

To these options, CTI has added four more, namely AHD+ Campo de Tiro de Alcochete; New sales + Pegoins; AHD + Vendas Novas Pegoines and Rio Frio + Poseirão.

The strategic assessment for each of these options considers “five critical decision factors,” namely: aviation security, accessibility and territory, human health and environmental viability, connectivity and economic development, and public investment and operating model.

This recommendation will form the basis for a decision on the future location of the new airport to be made by the new government, which will be announced at the next legislative elections on 10 March 2024.

Outgoing Prime Minister António Costa and Environment and Housing Minister Duarte Cordeiro were present at the National Civil Engineering Laboratory in Lisbon, where the report was presented.

Independent Technical Commission (CTI) coordinator Rosario Partidario said there were many lobbies but assured there was no pressure from the government regarding strategic options for the new airport.

Rosario Partidario spoke at the presentation of the preliminary report on the analysis and assessment of strategic options for expanding airport capacity in the Lisbon region at LNEC – National Laboratory of Civil Engineering.

“There was a lot of pressure on us, a lot of ‘lobbying’ (…) but there wasn’t even any pressure from the government and I wanted to thank you and make that clear,” he said.

The CTI coordinator noted that there was “no contact other than obviously of an administrative nature,” and this was the chief of staff to the prime minister.

“There was no contact with the prime minister,” he said, adding that for CTI this was “extremely important.”

Monitoring Committee President Carlos Mineiro Aires said it “didn’t occur to him” that the report presented to CTI on Tuesday “wouldn’t bring any benefit.”

“We cannot delay processes like this any longer. We are experiencing delays due to lack of planning,” he said.

The government commissioned an independent technical committee (CTI) to analyze five hypotheses for the Lisbon airport solution (Portela + Montijo; Montijo + Portela; Alcochete; Portela + Santarem; Santarem), but predicted that other options could be added.

The CTI, created late last year and located at the National Civil Engineering Laboratory (LNEC) in Lisbon, has Professor Rosario Partidario as general coordinator and a team of six technical coordinators.

After the first phase of receiving and analyzing other proposals, the options Portela + Alcochete, Portela + Pegoines, Rio Frio + Poseirão and Pegoines were added to the study.

The idea is to evaluate the nine options under consideration according to the five critical decision factors identified by the CTI, namely: aviation safety, accessibility and territory, human health and environmental viability, connectivity and economic development, and model public investment and financing.

The government will have to make a decision based on the scores obtained for the various options being studied under various criteria and reflected in the final report, which is due at the end of the year or early January. which is political and not technical.

Former infrastructure minister Joao Galamba promised a quick decision after analyzing the CTI’s final report, but given the political uncertainty due to the government’s resignation and the calling of early elections, this decision should be left until March.