On Monday, a letter was released addressed to ANA, in which the Government analyzes the Consultation Report on the new Lisbon airport, gathering contributions from over 100 organizations, including airlines, ground-handling companies, municipalities, the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC), and NAV Portugal. Several messages targeted the new Lisbon airport within this document.
Government warns ANA about the need to revise traffic forecasts
The Government considers it essential that the traffic forecasts for the new Lisbon airport be reviewed, especially between 2035 and 2045, to ensure that the infrastructure is realistically sized to meet future demand.
“We must note that the report highlights a misalignment between the stakeholders’ expectations and the traffic projections presented by the concessionaire [of national airports], particularly between 2035 and 2045,” read the message sent to ANA Aeroportos by Finance and Infrastructure ministers Joaquim Miranda Sarmento and Miguel Pinto Luz.
The ministers stress the importance that the project for the new Luís de Camões airport, at Campo de Tiro de Alcochete, and the master plan for the opening phase be based on realistic traffic forecasts. Only in this way will it be possible to ensure that the infrastructure is properly sized to meet demand and accommodate potential positive deviations.
“Thus, the grantor [the State] believes that the traffic forecast and its assumptions must be revisited as soon as possible,” they emphasize.
In the executive summary of the report, released on the Institute for Mobility and Transport (IMT) webpage, ANA points out that, in general, stakeholders do not reject the presented growth premise. However, no one submitted an alternative forecast supported by a study.
Stakeholders in the new Lisbon airport recommended to ANA that it seek alternative financing sources to increasing fees at Humberto Delgado from 2026, such as reinvestment of profits or capital injections from shareholders.
Lusa | 18:13 – 20/10/2025
In the initial report, known earlier this year, the airport manager estimated a passenger growth to about 52 million by 2060 at the new airport, compared to the current 35 million passengers at Humberto Delgado in Lisbon.
Government found most contributions relevant
After analyzing the report, the Government considered most of the contributions received relevant, expressing reservations only about some proposals to change the “minimum specifications.”
Out of nine proposals presented by ANA, seven found broad consensus among stakeholders, including the runway lengths, the distance between them, and the number of contact parking stands.
Two proposals will undergo additional technical assessment. One concerns reducing the fuel autonomy at airport facilities from five to three days. The other proposes dispensing with the construction of two catering buildings, one of which would be a direct responsibility of the airport management.
The Government confirmed that the minimum specifications for the new Lisbon airport are outdated after analyzing the Consultation Report presented by ANA, which gathered contributions from over 100 entities and revealed consensus on the need for an update.
Lusa | 16:58 – 20/10/2025
There are also concerns
The executive summary also reveals stakeholders’ concerns about uncertainties in the planning and schedule of accessibilities to the new airport, including the Third Tagus Crossing, rail connections (conventional and high-speed), and the need for redundancy in road access to the passenger terminal.
Among other recommendations, participants suggested that ANA explore alternatives to increasing fees at Humberto Delgado from 2026, such as reinvestment of profits, capital injections by shareholders, traditional debt financing, or European Union grants. Some entities also proposed using part of the proceeds from selling the current airport’s land, avoiding tariff increases for users.
The concessionaire proposes financing the project without public subsidies, combining debt up to 7.3 billion euros with operational revenues, including the gradual increase of fees. ANA argues that the strategy allows reducing financial risks, anticipating studies, and speeding up the timeline for the new airport.
The specifications for the new airport are set in Annex 16 of the concession contract signed in 2012, originally lasting 50 years, and according to the proposal for the new airport, it may be extended for an additional 30 years. The Government will take all necessary legal measures to update this annex.
The letter sent to ANA also clarifies that these changes do not constitute, either legally or under the contract, grounds for the concessionaire to claim restoration of economic and financial balance.
The schedule
The timeline foresees the new airport opening at Campo de Tiro de Alcochete by mid-2037, possibly brought forward to late 2036 through optimizations negotiated with the Government.
The consultation report was submitted in July and constitutes the first of four interim reports to be included in the complete application for the new airport, with the final submission deadline set for January 2028.
The next milestone in the process will be the submission of the Environmental Report, scheduled for January 2026. However, the Government emphasizes that ANA can proceed with subsequent reports – environmental and technical – using optimized versions already validated by the State.
