The Government announced this Thursday at the last meeting of the Council of Ministers that some diplomas have been approved for the Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon and the Porto-Lisbon TGV project.
Presidential Minister Mariana Vieira da Silva said an “important diploma” for the Porto Lisbon TGV had been approved, in addition to a decree-law on the “easing of operational restrictions” at Lisbon airport.
Frederico Francisco, Secretary of State for Infrastructure, called the high-speed rail line that will connect Lisbon to Porto “the most important public investment of the first half of the 21st century in Portugal.”
“No urban construction work, tree cutting, land use change or soil movement can be carried out without the prior permission of Infraestruturas de Portugal, so as not to increase the cost of construction of the railway line,” the secretary of state added.
Frederico Francisco also discussed the measures planned to reduce the restrictions encountered at Lisbon Airport.
“Humberto Delgado Airport has serious operational restrictions, restrictions on the comfort of passengers who have to pass through it every day. It is also known that since the concession agreement began to be implemented, it has experienced an increase in traffic and demand higher than what was initially forecast,” said the Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure.
Government commissions ANA to carry out investment at Lisbon Airport
The Council of Ministers approved a resolution that commits ANA to make investments at Humberto Delgado Airport with the aim of easing operational and passenger comfort restrictions.
According to Frederico Francisco, the civil aviation regulator and the state, as the grantor of the airport concession contract, understand that ANA’s investment “has been lower than expected.”
Frederico Francisco emphasized that “the government does not force the ANA to do anything that it was not already obliged to do, in the understanding of the grantor and the regulator”, but rather “provides the bulk of the Council of Ministers resolution with these obligations” and “order “AHA will comply with them and provide the concessionaire with conditions that will enable it to effectively fulfill these obligations without creating the disorder that might arise if it were to comply with these obligations.”
The Secretary of State recalled that in order to enable ANA to carry out investments with minimal disruption, the Figo Maduro airfield, attached to Lisbon Airport, is planned to be withdrawn from military use.
“This dissatisfaction is due to the start of investment in the South Pier, which could lead to further disruption, but in this way we believe that the conditions are being created for the concessionaire to make the necessary and urgent investment,” the government official emphasized.
Author: morning Post
Source: CM Jornal
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