In a press conference closing the PCP Parliamentary Days, at the Santiago de Sesimbra Fort, the party's parliamentary leader, Paula Santos, considered that, "instead of negotiating new and greater compensations for the multinational holding ANA", the Government should "put national interests before Vinci's profit goals".

"What is urgent is to give priority to the construction of the new airport at the Alcochete Shooting Range, instead of expanding the capacity of Portela airport, ending public-private partnerships (whether in airports, in the Tejo crossing, or others in this sector) and bringing ANA Aeroportos back to public control", she defended.

For Paula Santos, "the country urgently needs to move forward with the phased construction of the new Lisbon airport at the Alcochete Shooting Range, the third Tejo crossing and the high-speed connection between Lisbon".

"The PCP Parliamentary Group will take the initiative to promote hearings that contribute to a full identification of the situation and the measures necessary to implement the projects", she added.

In this context, the party will request a hearing with the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, as well as with those responsible for ANA/Vinci and Infraestruturas de Portugal, so that "the country knows the schedule, the construction and financing model of the announced infrastructures".

Asked if the PCP agrees with the 10-year deadline established by the Government for the airport to become operational, Paula Santos replied that what stood out from the executive's statements is that "the priority, despite the construction of the new airport at the Alcochete Shooting Range, is the expansion of the Portela airport capacity".

"That is not what is needed: it is exactly the opposite. (...) All priority, all effort, all commitment must be in the construction, in the advancement of the process for the construction of the new airport at the Alcochete Shooting Range and not in the expansion of the capacity of Portela airport", she defended.

The PCP parliamentary leader also criticized the Government for having admitted, in its interventions, "negotiations and compensations for Vinci".

"We want to understand what is on the table, because the one who benefits from the expansion of Portela airport's capacity is Vinci, who has never had any interest and has done everything so that there is no new airport at the Alcochete Shooting Range", she criticized.

Paula Santos considered that Vinci intends to "maximize its profits with the Lisbon airport" and added that "expanding Portela's capacity, with all the associated risks, with what it means in terms of noise, impact on public health and environmental impacts, is not the way forward".

In this press conference, Paula Santos stressed that the PCP has long defended the construction of the new Lisbon airport at the Alcochete Shooting Range, in addition to the creation of a third Tejo crossing, road-rail, between Barreiro and Lisbon, as well as high speed to Madrid.

"From here we want to salute all those who, like us, have not given up fighting for a fair and adequate solution for these investments, in particular the new Lisbon airport", she said.

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