Infrastructure: Airport news in Portugal

Starting October 15, taxi trips from Lisbon Airport will transition to a fixed-fare system to improve price transparency. Depending on the destination zone, passengers will pay either 16 or 19 euros, following an agreement between taxi associations and the Lisbon City Council.

Update: DECO challenges legality of new airport taxi fares

The Portuguese Association for Consumer Protection (Associação Portuguesa para a Defesa do Consumidor or DECO) has questioned the legality of the new fixed-fare protocol. The organization argues that the measure may limit consumer choice and potentially penalize passengers who would otherwise benefit from metered rates.

Foreign nationals with valid Portuguese residence permits can now use automated passport control gates at airports. Introduced by the Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública or PSP), this measure allows eligible residents to use biometric technology to speed up border crossings.

The airport operator ANA | VINCI Airports has submitted the final Environmental Impact Study for the new Luís de Camões Airport to the Portuguese Environment Agency (Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente or APA). The 5,000-page report, developed over 18 months by more than 60 experts, evaluates impacts on water resources, noise levels, air quality, and socioeconomics.

Border control at Lisbon Airport was temporarily closed on Tuesday after passengers from a flight arriving from Brazil disembarked in the wrong area. The Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública or PSP) confirmed that the error led to a mix of screened and unscreened passengers, necessitating a temporary halt to operations.

Update: Lisbon Metro Red Line suspended after pipe burst

Service on the Lisbon Metro Red Line was suspended between Chelas and the Airport following a pipe burst that flooded technical rooms. The incident caused a train to stall, leading some passengers to force doors open and walk along the tracks, forcing a complete shutdown of the line.

A high-speed rail link will connect the future Lisbon airport to the city center in 20 minutes. The new airport project, estimated to cost between 7.9 and 8.9 billion euros, is expected to open in 2035 and will be supported by extensive new rail, road, and utility infrastructure.

ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal has formally presented the technical report for the new Luís de Camões Airport, which is planned for the Alcochete Firing Range. The report details operational capacity, engineering projects, and multimodal connectivity, with estimates suggesting the project could cost nearly nine billion euros. Government officials and the concessionaire are now moving forward with the next stages of the development process.

The National Republican Guard (Guarda Nacional Republicana or GNR) concluded its border control mission at Lisbon Airport this Sunday. On Monday, 367 new Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública or PSP) officers will begin a two-week operational internship to take over these duties at Lisbon, Porto, Faro, and island airports.

The government is deploying 367 new Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública or PSP) officers to airports starting Monday to help manage passenger control. Minister of Internal Administration (Ministro da Administração Interna) confirmed the deployment aims to reduce wait times, though he cautioned that some operational delays may persist during the busy summer period.

Lisbon Airport is facing increased operational challenges due to a record rise in non-Schengen passenger traffic. The facility, already operating near capacity, is managing new requirements from the European border control system. These pressures have led to calls for improved infrastructure to handle the growing volume of international travelers.

The government has approved an expenditure of up to 4.5 million euros to demilitarise the Alcochete Shooting Range. This process is a necessary step to clear the site for the construction of the new Luís de Camões Airport, which will serve the Lisbon region.

The Ministry of Internal Administration (Ministério da Administração Interna or MAI) clarified that the Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública or PSP) may temporarily suspend biometric data collection at airports for up to six hours when necessary to manage queues. This follows reports of increased capacity and electronic entry machines at major terminals.

Two French children, aged three and five, who were abandoned by their parents in Alcácer do Sal last week, have returned to France. The Setúbal Judicial Court confirmed that the repatriation was organized through cooperation between Portuguese and French authorities to ensure the children's well-being. The case remains under investigation following the initial discovery of the minors alone on a road.

The government has approved the creation of a Single Social Benefit (Prestação Social Única or PSU) to consolidate 13 existing support schemes, including the Social Insertion Income (Rendimento Social de Inserção or RSI). The new policy requires working-age recipients to perform up to 15 hours of community work per week, with non-compliance resulting in the loss of benefits. Former Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho noted that the measure originated from a proposal by the previous socialist administration, while several left-wing parties have criticized the mandatory social work requirement.

Portugal's public accounts shifted from a surplus in March to a deficit of 1.548 billion euros by the end of April. According to data from the Budgetary Entity, this negative balance represents a significant decline compared to the same period last year, driven by reduced revenue in central and regional administrations. While tax revenue saw a modest 1.2% increase, overall public expenditure grew by 6.9%.

The Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública or PSP) will deploy 360 new officers to Portuguese airports this July to help reduce waiting times for passengers arriving from outside the Schengen area. PSP spokesperson Sérgio Soares stated that these officers are part of a larger group of 560 new recruits currently completing their border guard training.

Passengers at Humberto Delgado Airport continue to experience long queues at passport control, a situation exacerbated by the full operation of the European Entry/Exit System (Sistema de Entrada/Saída or EES). While expansion works in the border area are scheduled for inauguration on May 29, airline associations are calling for a suspension of the current system.

The National Civil Aviation Authority (Autoridade Nacional da Aviação Civil or ANAC) has lifted operational restrictions at Horta airport in the Azores. The regional government confirmed that normal flight operations will resume starting Wednesday. This decision follows a series of meetings between the regional authorities, the airport operator, and the national aviation regulator.

Wait times at Lisbon's Aeroporto Humberto Delgado reached two hours on Sunday morning during a peak in arrivals. The Polícia de Segurança Pública (PSP) reported that all border control posts were staffed as part of an Easter contingency plan, which includes 30 extra agents in Lisbon. Airport manager ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal confirmed that while waits hit 120 minutes at 08:30, they have since dropped to under an hour.