“When the Mayor of Lisbon is unable to act – who should guarantee the peace of the population – in the face of government inaction, to enforce the law and respect the city’s residents’ right to rest peacefully during the night, the significance of the position is reduced to almost insignificance,” stated Jorge Ferreira during a demonstration calling for the closure of the Humberto Delgado Airport and an end to night flights, which took place in the Portuguese capital in the late afternoon.
“Unfortunately, this has been the case with Carlos Moedas,” he emphasized.
Jorge Ferreira further expressed that Carlos Moedas should have taken a firmer and more determined stance long ago, utilizing the political weight of his office to demand government compliance with the law.
The Communist Party councilor argued that the maintenance of Lisbon’s airport is a concession to capitalist interests by the political power.
This opinion was shared by Carolina Serrão from the Left Bloc (BE), and Livre MP Jorge Pinto, also present at the protest.
Dozens gathered near Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon, calling for the closure of this airport and a ban on night flights. This demonstration coincided with Livre’s introduction of a resolution in Parliament regarding the issue.
“Today, the Assembly of the Republic received a resolution recommending the Government to prohibit night flights, cancel the expansion of Humberto Delgado Airport, accelerate the construction of the new airport, and invest in railways as an alternative to Iberian flights,” stated Livre MP Jorge Pinto at the protest organized by the platform ‘Airport Out, Lisbon Better’.
The protest was organized by the “Airport Out, Lisbon Better” platform, criticizing the authorities for their inaction regarding the noise and pollution caused by Lisbon’s airport. Although attendance was not large, demonstrators heavily criticized the Government and Lisbon City Hall for not defending people’s interests.
The protest took place at the end of the day near the Humberto Delgado Airport metro station. Protesters demanded an end to night flights, the closure of the airport, urgent construction of a new airport outside the capital, and a “new green lung in the city.”
Sérgio Morais, a member of the platform, explained to the Lusa agency that the initiative aimed to express the dissatisfaction of those living, working, or studying in areas affected by aircraft noise and pollution.
In November 2024, Infrastructure Minister Miguel Pinto Luz, who remains in office in the current legislature, announced plans to ban flights between 01:00 and 05:00 in Lisbon, as recommended by a working group that delivered its final report in July 2022.
Before the legislative elections in March, the Council of Ministers instructed the National Civil Aviation Authority, the aviation sector regulator, to implement nighttime operational restrictions.
According to the PSD/CDS executive, the plan involved restricting louder aircraft operations between 23:00 and 07:00, imposing a ‘hard-curfew’ without slots from 01:00 to 05:00, and implementing new aeronautical procedures to reduce noise.
