In Canta’s opinion, in order to adapt Montijo’s airport into a civil airport – as opposed to locations in Sintra and Alverca – it would be important to connect it to the bridge with a new link direct into Montijo, which has been long asked for, but never achieved.
A source from the Economy Ministry told Lusa News Agency that “only at the beginning of September” should an agreement be reached between ANA – Airports of Portugal and the Portuguese air Force, which is expected to be compensated by the airport management company now controlled by French group Vinci.
Earlier this month Portugal’s State Secretary for transport said that the government wants to sign an agreement with the different parties involved before the end of the legislature in October, for Montijo, on the south bank of the Tagus, to be home to a second Lisbon airport which would back up the main airport in the capital.
“Our intention is to sign the agreement with the parties” – the Ministries of Defence and Economy, the Portuguese air force (Montijo is an air base), Lisbon and Montijo city councils and national airport management company ANA - Aeroportos de Portugal – before the upcoming general elections on 4 October, Sérgio Silva Monteiro, told reporters in Beja.”He added that “the great advantage of Portela airport in Lisbon” is its “proximity” to the capital, since passengers who land there “are €1.40 from the city centre by Metro”, he added.”Should it come to fruition the new airport, often referred to as Portela +1, would be located across the Tagus River on the south banks, in the city of Montijo.”Among other suggestions, Portela +1 could alleviate Lisbon’s main airport of some of its traffic by receiving low-cost flights.
But, the Montijo Mayor stressed, the project “is no longer Portela+1, but an extension of Portela airport”, elaborating that Lisbon’s main airport would therefore have two runways, one on the north side of the Tagus River, and another on the south