During a meeting with the civic platform “Airport Out, Lisbon Improves” in the Campo Grande area of Lisbon, Inês de Sousa Real emphasized the importance of promoting measures in the upcoming legislative session to improve the quality of life for residents affected by flights from Humberto Delgado Airport.
The PAN spokesperson highlighted the continuous impact of aircraft passing over that part of the city, noting that there are consequences “not just for the rest and life quality” of the residents but also for the environment due to the “emission of fine particles” by the planes.
Inês de Sousa Real advocated for extending the prohibition period of nighttime flights to ensure that people have the “right to a minimum of eight hours of rest,” echoing the sentiments of the civic platform she met with.
The leader of People-Animals-Nature stressed the need for the State, rather than Vinci, the airport operator in Portugal, to take responsibility for implementing noise mitigation measures in the city, such as adapting residential windows.
“We must ensure that public funds are not once again covering the costs of what benefits and profits a private entity,” she added.
Inês de Sousa Real called on the Government to compel Vinci to adhere to noise mitigation measures to limit “the degradation of residents’ quality of life” and reduce the environmental impact of the airport.
The PAN leader also raised safety concerns, asserting that the current airport location in the capital poses additional risks.
“Besides the deterioration of quality of life, we must also acknowledge the safety issues. If an accident occurs in Lisbon involving an airplane, the damage would evidently be less severe if it were located outside the city with different infrastructure,” she stated.
In remarks following a visit to the Crescer association, the PAN leader reiterated her opposition to constructing the new airport in Alcochete, insisting that this solution “will not solve the problems of the Lisbon metropolitan area.”
“It makes no sense to opt for an airport in a flood-prone area that could eventually be submerged, costing taxpayers over 10 billion euros and failing to solve the metropolitan area’s noise issues, quite the opposite,” declared the PAN leader.
