The associations' warning, in a statement, came after the announcement by the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, that the Government today approved the construction of the new airport for the Lisbon region in Alcochete, which will be the only one, following the recommendation of the Independent Technical Commission (CTI).

"Large airports that do not serve a large population are economically unviable and have an unacceptable environmental cost. The decision to build from scratch in Alcochete is therefore viewed with apprehension, especially when we have a unique opportunity to make a decision without irreversible environmental costs", says CPADA in a statement.

In the document, the organizations defend the proposals for Santarém and Beja as the right choice and give examples of what they consider to be megalomaniacal works, "with ghost airports or involved in controversies" in Spain, Germany, Poland, Canada or Japan.

In the Alcochete option, the Independent Technical Commission (CTI), accuses CPADA, prioritized geographical proximity in kilometers instead of travel time, ignored the costs of rail and road accessibility, and assumed the irreversibility of the Portuguese Air Force's opposition to the location in Santarém.

And also, continues the organization, it dealt "lightly" with the repeated warnings by the environmental movement, political parties and numerous experts about the insurmountable problems of the location in Alcochete: felling of 250,000 cork oaks, location in a flood plain that is easily flooded, overlapping one of the largest aquifers in Europe and seismic risk.

Although it has expressed discomfort with the evaluation criteria chosen by the CTI, CPADA recognizes the merit of the suggestions proposed, such as moving private jets to Cascais airport and cargo flights to Beja airport.

"We believe that the right debate is precisely this, that of finding adaptation solutions, given that the only airport in the country with the capacity to receive an A380 aircraft, the largest commercial aircraft, has been largely ignored, when it could be enhanced with an investment of tens of millions of euros, a tiny fraction of the combined cost of Alcochete airport and its respective accesses, which imply a commitment of a value well over 10 billion euros", says the statement.

The environmentalists add in this regard that it would be "an extraordinary service to the country" if the tourism sector, rightly concerned about the thousands of visitors lost daily due to the lack of availability of Lisbon Airport, promoted Beja airport with low-cost operators, and supported the organization of charter flights.

Activating Beja airport, they say, is the only solution with immediate effects, and would greatly benefit the development of the region.

"We are in time to make a decision that serves the country and limits the inevitable environmental impact", can be read in the statement from CPADA, an organization that defends that the current Lisbon airport should not be deactivated but that its use should be reduced and the hours without flights increased.

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