Latest news and stories about aviation regulation in Portugal for expats and residents.
Data reveals that less than 18% of flights operating during the restricted midnight to 6:00 AM window at Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport between 2023 and 2025 met the required 'force majeure' criteria.
This will be the second time the handling licences of the current service provider are extended. The decision comes while a precautionary measure from Menzies is pending, challenging the tender for licences to operate in Lisbon, Porto, and Faro, which was awarded to the Spanish company Clece/South.
With a 20-metre wingspan, the drones will be assembled at Lajes Air Base before being sent to Jordan by 1 April. ANAC is requesting further details and technical specifications.
The National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) stated on Wednesday that its conduct in the airport handling tender adheres to principles of legality, transparency, and ethics, confirming that the Clece/South consortium submitted all required documentation on 15 March. The regulator, which awarded the seven-year contract for Lisbon, Porto, and Faro airports to the consortium earlier this year, noted it will complete its review within the 90-day legal window, though it aims to decide sooner to ensure operational continuity. The process faces legal challenges from Menzies Aviation and concerns from trade unions regarding the transition period during the peak summer season.
The Clece/South consortium, winner of the tender for ground handling licences at Lisbon, Porto and Faro airports, has submitted the required documentation to the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC), completing another stage of the process to operate in Portugal, ECO learned from a source close to the matter. The regulator will now assess compliance.
The company states that it disagrees with the design of the tender process and the way it was conducted.
The company explains that the challenge relates to the structure and the way the tender process, promoted by the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC), was conducted.
ANAC imposed fines of €8.7 million in 2024 for breaches of night-flight restrictions in Lisbon. The amount fell to €3.4 million in 2025, but the regulator says it will maintain rigorous enforcement.
The legal penalties for the administrative offence range from €12,000 to €72,000.
The jury's final report on the public tender for the allocation of ground handling licences at Lisbon, Porto and Faro airports upheld the victory of the consortium that includes Iberia's handling company, ECO has learned and SITAVA has confirmed. SPdH/Menzies, the current holder of the licences, is expected to appeal to the courts.
