Lisbon, Sept. 3, 2024 (Lusa) - Environmental and civic associations on Tuesday expressed their opposition to the expansion of Lisbon airport to the mayor of Lisbon, due to noise and pollution, and said that the focus should be on extending the railway.

 Dozens of environmental and Lisbon residents' associations are being heard this afternoon at an extraordinary public meeting of the city council to debate the effects of increasing the capacity of Lisbon airport.

In a short opening speech, the mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas (PSD), assured that the council agreed with the flight limitations but emphasised that ‘there must be a balance between tourist and economic activity’.

However, the organisations being heard expressed their opposition to the airport's expansion, warning of the consequences that ‘are already visible’, particularly in terms of noise and environmental pollution.

The president of the League for the Protection of Nature (LPN), Pedro Amaral, emphasised that ‘an increase in supply will increase demand, aggravating the already negative consequences of the operation of Lisbon airport.

‘Public funds should be channelled towards rail transport,’ he said.

In the same vein, the president of the Zero association, Francisco Ferreira, pointed out that the Environmental Impact Statement (DIA) for Lisbon airport dates back to 2006 and that it foresaw the closure of that infrastructure in 2015.

‘It's unbelievable how no organisation is questioning this,’ he said.

José Rodrigues, from GEOTA (Group for the Study of Spatial Planning and the Environment), defended the total abolition of night flights and a commitment to the railway, ‘making Beja airport viable’.

‘It's totally feasible to travel from Beja to Lisbon by train,’ he said.

For their part, several residents‘ associations, such as the Alto do Lumiar and Serafina Residents’ Association, described the negative impacts that airport activity has on their daily lives, especially at night.

‘We can't support this extension. We also ask the City Council and the mayor not to endorse this extension,’ said José Almeida, from the association.

The discussion on increasing the capacity of Lisbon airport is taking place this afternoon in the Archive Room of Lisbon's City Hall, and is the result of a request from the PS.

According to the Socialist councillors, the parishes neighbouring the airport are home to ‘around 100,000 people, who are subject to negative impacts in terms of noise, pollution and road congestion’.

At the proposal of the PS, the council invited the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), the National Council for the Environment and Sustainable Development (CNADS), Zero - Sustainable Earth System Association, GEOTA - Group for Spatial Planning and Environmental Studies, the League for the Protection of Nature (LPN) and the Living in Lisbon movement to take part in the discussion.

The other political forces represented on the city council - PSD/CDS, PCP, Cidadãos Por Lisboa (elected by the PS/Livre coalition), Livre and BE - can nominate other organisations, with the Blocists inviting the civic platform ‘Aeroporto fora, Lisboa melhora’, which has been demanding an end to night flights and compliance with the General Noise Law since 2022.

FAC/ADB // ADB.

Lusa