The goal is to transform the airport, currently "underutilised," into an engine of tourism growth, though the operation's success critically depends on completing road and rail access.

Beja Airport may finally fulfil the purpose for which it was designed

The Alentejo and Ribatejo Regional Tourism Authority is finalising a strategic plan to present to the Government, aiming to attract regular commercial aviation within a 2- to 3-year timeframe.

José Santos, president of the ERT, argues that the region cannot afford to keep this infrastructure outside the commercial transport network, especially at a time when Alentejo is asserting its maturity as a leading tourist destination.

The action plan foresees direct dialogue with the Government, Turismo de Portugal (the Portuguese Tourism Board), and ANA Aeroportos (the Portuguese airport authority), aiming to create a platform that accelerates the sector's growth in the region.

A preliminary study has already been presented to several partners and airlines, including TAP Air Portugal, and the reception has been positive. According to José Santos, ANA Aeroportos has shown willingness to collaborate in updating feasibility reports that, about a year and a half ago, did not yet present the ideal conditions for starting up.

Now, with the development of the local industry, ERT (the Regional Tourism Entity) believes that the scenario has changed and that Beja can assume a crucial role as a gateway to the territory.

Hotel capacity

For this leap to materialise, the region faces the challenge of increasing its installed capacity. Currently, the Alentejo region has around 30,000 hotel beds, but projects underway should add 5,000 new beds in the short term.

This increase in hotel capacity is seen as an essential step to ensure the sustainability of the routes and attract airlines' interest. While commercial flights are not yet available, the airport has maintained excellent performance in executive aviation, already serving several hotel units on the coast and in the interior of Alentejo.

Improving accessibility

However, the regional entity's optimism is hampered by a historical obstacle: accessibility. The mayor of Beja, Nuno Palma Ferro, while enthusiastically welcoming the project, remains sceptical about the full viability of the infrastructure without a proper road and rail connection.

For the mayor, the completion of the A26 motorway between Santa Margarida do Sado and Beja is the missing piece in the puzzle of regional competitiveness. Without this highway, Palma Ferro warns that any expansion plan risks becoming a "mirage," arguing that the Government must provide a definitive answer to this decades-long blockage.

Despite reservations about land transport infrastructure, the region welcomes the recent public tender launched by Infraestruturas de Portugal to complete the aforementioned A26.

If the convergence between flight plans and on-site works is confirmed, 2028 could mark the beginning of a new era for the Lower Alentejo, where the airport will cease to be a latent asset and become the starting point for a new international tourism dynamic.