"For the Benavente region, this is certainly good news, because it will ensure development and improve the living conditions of our population [...] and we are prepared to receive an infrastructure of this nature", said the mayor, in statements to Lusa.

The Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, announced today that the Government has approved the construction of the new airport for the Lisbon region in Alcochete, following the recommendation of the Independent Technical Committee (CTI).

"The Government has decided to approve the development of the new Lisbon airport with a view to the complete replacement of the Humberto Delgado Airport in the Alcochete Firing Range and to give it the name of Luís de Camões Airport", revealed Luís Montenegro, in a statement to the country, after an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers, this afternoon.

The Air Force Firing Range, also known as the Alcochete Firing Range (due to the proximity of this urban centre), is mostly located in the parish of Samora Correia, in the municipality of Benavente (district of Santarém), with a small part still in the parish of Canha, already in the municipality of Montijo (district of Setúbal).

The municipality of Benavente in the Ribatejo region, with about 521 square kilometres, is on the border of the district of Santarém with the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (AML) and less than half an hour from the entrance to Lisbon.

Speaking to Lusa, the Mayor of Benavente guaranteed that the territory is prepared to receive the construction of the new airport, emphasising that the infrastructure will ensure the economic and social development of the region.

According to Carlos Coutinho (CDU), the decision announced today by the Prime Minister "brings prestige to politics" and is the result of a "process marked by enormous transparency, with a lot of participation", with the Government knowing how to respect "the work of the scientific community".

Carlos Coutinho recalled that the Firing Range has a series of conditions that were decisive for the final decision, namely the capacity for expansion, the proximity to the Lisbon region and the fact that it is "distant from population centres".

All these conditions, he stressed, were "recognised and pointed out as being the best solution for the country".

The Mayor of Benavente warned, however, that a set of interventions will be necessary, especially in the road network, to "avoid traffic collapse", although the territory already has "very good" infrastructures, with the capacity to respond to the new airport.

The mayor also stressed the fact that, although this "is good news for the population of Benavente", the new infrastructure should not jeopardise the identity and values of the region.

"We know the importance of this infrastructure, but we want to preserve the identity of this territory. We are a territory that has its own identity, built over many decades and we want to maintain our identity, we do not want our identity and our values to be jeopardised", he said.

Regarding the possible environmental impacts of the new airport in the region, Carlos Coutinho said that the problems have been identified, reiterating that it is important that "the soil is not contaminated".

Regarding the felling of cork oaks that will have to be done, the mayor assured that it will be compensated with the planting of new trees, "in a much larger number".

Read Also: Airport. Parish Council of Samora Correia satisfied with the decision (Portuguese version)