"Humberto Delgado Airport is the main source of noise in Lisbon and one of the main sources of pollution in the city. 388 thousand residents have their sleep affected by the airport, with areas such as Alvalade, Olivais and even Campo de Ourique where, at dawn, it is possible to record 45 decibels thanks to the noise of the planes", reads a note from the PS councilors to the local authority.

In the note, the PS councilors in Lisbon welcome the decision to proceed with the construction of the new International Airport and to do so at the Alcochete Firing Range, "confirming the result of the technical study of the Independent Commission appointed by the previous government".

"The consensus that has existed since the announcement of a decision so structural for the economy of Lisbon, and of the country, results from the depth of this work and everything that preceded it", they say, stressing the importance for the city that the chosen proposal "abandons the solution of the new airport as an auxiliary or complementary infrastructure to Portela".

The councilors also highlight the fact that the new airport will lead to the extinction of the current one, "an important step that has long been defended by the Socialist Party", recalling that, in 2018, using a legal prerogative, the Lisbon City Council "opposed the extension of the night hours wanted by ANA and, in 2020, again on the initiative of the PS, the local authority approved a joint position against the increase in night flights".

"It was therefore with extreme apprehension that the PS councilors received the news that the Government is preparing to authorize the increase in the number of planes per hour, from 38 to 45, an increase of almost 20% in the number of flights in a city where residents already feel the impacts of noise and environmental pollution on their skin", they say.

According to the socialist councilors, the "absence of a word from the Mayor of Lisbon about this intention, which harms Lisbon residents and compromises their quality and life expectancy, is incomprehensible and unacceptable".

Thus, the PS Lisbon urges Carlos Moedas to clarify, "once and for all, which side he is on", questioning whether "he accepts the interests of ANA, which has long wanted to use Humberto Delgado as the 'golden goose' that supports all its operation and expansion, or the quality of life of Lisbon residents".

"The existing noise levels, as several experts have already pointed out, compromise the sleep and even the mental health of hundreds of thousands of Lisbon residents. Carlos Moedas has to decide whether to defend the interests of Lisbon residents, who suffer from levels of noise and air pollution far above what is acceptable and unparalleled in any major city, or whether he wants to appear only alongside the government without a voice of his own", they stress.

According to the note, the PS councilors will take the issue to a next meeting of the chamber, presenting a motion "where the local authority's opposition to the increase of almost 20% in the frequency of planes is made clear".

On Tuesday, the Government led by the social democrat Luís Montenegro approved the development of a phased investment plan that ensures the increase in the capacity of Humberto Delgado Airport to reach 45 movements per hour, including the investments provided for in the Council of Ministers Resolution of December, approved by the previous Government.

In that resolution, the Government led by the socialist António Costa gave ANA 120 days to present projects to comply with the specific development obligations at Lisbon airport, with a view to mitigating operational and passenger comfort constraints and whose works must be completed by 2027.

The issue is the "construction of quick exits from the runway - runway 03 (current 02) - Implementation of Phase 2 of Quick Exit H2", which, according to the concession contract signed in 2012, should have been executed between 2018 and 2021, but now has a new deadline for completion by 2026.

It is also the obligation to build "multiple entrances to runway 21 (current 20)", which initially also had to be completed between 2018 and 2021, but was given a new deadline for completion between 2025 and 2027, as well as the "expropriation of warehouses in the area of ​​multiple entrances to runway 21 (current 20)", which should also have been done between 2018 and 2021, and which now has a new deadline for execution between 2024 and 2025.

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