In a request submitted to the Assembly of the Republic, addressed to the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, the socialist deputy elected in Faro confirmed that the closure of the cargo warehouse “took him by surprise and leaves him with no alternative exporting and importing companies, as well as citizens.”

“The decision leaves the Algarve, a region from the geographical point of view already peripheral, even more isolated, with serious impacts on its economy, already very weakened due to the effects of the current covid-19 pandemic, in the tourism sector, travel and leisure”, supported deputies Luís Graça, Joaquina Matos, Ana Passos, Francisco Oliveira and Célia Paz.

According to parliamentarians, exporting companies reports that, “despite the various attempts made they never managed to get any response from the management of Portway – Handling of Portugal, SA or ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal, namely from the direction of Faro International Airport.”

PS deputies recall that, in addition to exports, the closure of the cargo warehouse “also leaves situations unanswered, among others, such as the receipt of urgent medicine, remains for funeral ceremonies, live animals or a lost suitcase that has to be returned to the source.”

Parliamentarians consider the situation “unacceptable”, especially since Portway, “a company that operated the cargo warehouse, belongs to the business universe of the Vinci Airports, a group that owns ANA”, a company that operates Faro International Airport.

In the question addressed to Minister Pedro Nuno Santos, the elected socialists from the Faro constituency reinforce that “it is not acceptable that there was no prior dialogue between the administrations of the two companies in the same business group, to avoid the serious damage of leaving the entire region of the Algarve without the possibility of importing and exporting cargo by air.”

The deputies want the Government, led by the socialist António Costa, to clarify whether the ministry under Pedro Nuno Santos has “knowledge that the cargo warehouse at Faro International Airport has been closed since 1 June, leaving import and export companies no viable alternative.”

The parliamentarians also want to know if the Government considers that “the region of the Algarve and regionally based exporting and importing companies can be deprived of the transport of their products and good by air from Faro.”

In the document, they also ask the executive to explain what “measures he intends to take” so that ANA “guarantees in the shortest possible time the reopening of the cargo warehouse and the transportation of cargo by air from” this airport.