The president of Emirates airline, Tim Clark, said today that the new airport is a problem that should be solved, rather than politicizing the debate, and that it is to Lisbon that international airlines want to fly.
“It’s an important problem for Portugal, […] we need to recognize it, deal with it, instead of politicizing the debate. Do it, build it and they [the airlines] will come,” said Tim Clark, in an interview with Lusa, Expresso and Eco, on the sidelines of the World Aviation Festival in Lisbon.
When asked about the different options being analyzed, the president of the United Arab Emirates airline stressed that “it is to Lisbon that the international aviation community wants to fly”, since that is where their market is.
“If they have unrestricted demand and an airport that can handle it all […] they would be twice what they are today,” Tim Clark pointed out.
The limitations of Humberto Delgado Airport, where Emirates has “two precious slots” are, according to the official, a problem for all airlines.
“If you’re going to build another airport, build it. Build it big enough,” said the airline’s CEO, adding that this is a “fantastic opportunity” to build a technologically advanced airport that is efficient in terms of its carbon footprint.
As for Porto, Emirates intends to return to Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, where it has already been, as soon as it has the entire fleet in operation.
On April 27, the technical commission studying the expansion of Lisbon’s airport capacity announced nine possible options for the new airport, which include the five defined by the government (Portela + Montijo; Montijo + Portela; Alcochete; Portela + Santarém; Santarém) plus Portela+Alcochete, Portela+Pegões, Rio Frio+Poceirão and Pegões.
