"I want to reassure the Portuguese people. The government's position is clear. The airport land will not be used to pay for the new airport," the minister emphasised.

The minister made this assurance after the newspaper Público reported that ANA Aeroportos and other entities want the sale of the Portela land, where the current airport is located, to help pay for the new one.

Miguel Pinto Luz revealed that the current airport's land will be part of the Parques Cidades do Tejo (Tejo City Parks) for new urban development in the cities of Loures and Lisbon.

"The new airport will not receive a direct contribution from the State Budget; it will be paid for with the Business Plan that will be presented, and ANA and Vinci have already expressed their ambition to develop it. We will wait until the final project," he said.

"We will not give up on our vision for the new airport," he concluded.