Latest news and stories about public transport in travel in Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
The Lisbon Metro (Metropolitano de Lisboa) will suspend service on the Green Line between Rossio and Cais do Sodré from May 2 to May 5. The closure is necessary for construction work on the new circular line, with normal operations expected to resume on May 6.
Portugal's aviation sector is currently grappling with significant operational challenges, leading to widespread flight delays and passenger inconvenience across major airport hubs.
New border control systems are causing significant delays at major Portuguese airports, prompting political scrutiny over resource shortages, particularly in Ponta Delgada.
Biometric data collection at major Portuguese airports has been suspended again due to excessive passenger wait times, with authorities implementing an automatic suspension protocol when queues exceed reference limits.
The government has issued a formal warning to ANA regarding outdated passenger forecasts for the new airport, expressing concerns that the infrastructure will be undersized upon completion.
Transtejo has suspended vehicle transport for an indefinite period because of Depression Ingrid and adverse forecasts from the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). Passenger services have been restricted to the Porto Brandão–Belém route and are operating to the timetables in force. The measure is expected to disrupt vehicle crossings and related travel plans; no date for resumption has been announced.
The Government has received the first environmental report for the proposed new Lisbon airport, submitted by ANA – Airports of Portugal. The Ministry of Infrastructure said the next step is delivery of a technical report by 16 July, which will detail the project’s principal environmental impacts and justify the choice of location within the Campo de Tiro de Alcochete perimeter. The final environmental impact study is expected to be submitted to the Portuguese Environment Agency in the third quarter, marking a new phase in the planning and regulatory review of the airport project.
A commentary on the experience of travelling through Portuguese airports, highlighting the common issue of long waiting times.
Following the derailment of the Glória elevator on September 3rd, the Lisbon City Council immediately suspended the operation of the Bica and Lavra lifts and the Graça funicular for inspection.
After the detection of odors on board (so-called fume events) on a TAP flight from Lisbon to Frankfurt late Sunday, the plane made an emergency landing in Paris. This Monday, passengers resumed their journey to the German capital. The airline rules out health impacts.
The Airbus A321 was heading towards Frankfurt, Germany.
The captain decided to interrupt the flight and diverted to Orly airport
Airports Council International warns that the situation - which was already serious in Lisbon - will worsen in the peak season months
The article discusses the severe congestion at Lisbon Airport, framing it as an 'impossible task' due to a combination of new EU border control requirements, infrastructure limitations, and a significant increase in passenger numbers. It highlights that while the PSP (Public Security Police) is working to manage the flow, the underlying issue is a lack of physical capacity that cannot be solved without a new airport. The text also notes that despite these challenges, the PSP has increased its proactive enforcement, including interceptions and arrests for document fraud and drug trafficking.
The new electronic border system in Portugal has faced queues, with the Public Security Police (PSP) monitoring the situation closely. Superintendent Sérgio Soares explained that when wait times exceed 40 minutes, officers temporarily stop collecting photos and fingerprints to prevent excessive delays, though the system remains active. Similar issues have been reported across several European airports, including in Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, and the Netherlands, leading to missed flights. Airlines are not held responsible for these delays, leaving passengers to file complaints with airport authorities or the Civil Aviation Authority.
The union guarantees that the conditions have been met to suspend the strike.
The new digital system at national airports continues to cause problems. In recent days, dozens of passengers have missed flights due to failures in the kiosks of the new entry and exit system for the Schengen area, which are unable to handle the high number of users. There are reports of malfunctions and delays at border control, and the PSP confirms that, at times, the collection of biometric data is even being suspended.
The official stressed that departure checks are being carried out safely, following the usual model and complying with established protocols, but without biometric data collection.
According to the statement from ANA - Portugal, “today, during the morning period, there were very long wait times at the Lisbon airport border control for both departures and arrivals.”
During the morning, the PSP decided to suspend the collection of biometric data at Lisbon, Faro, and Porto airports due to the high volume of passengers.
The collection of biometric data at departures in Lisbon, Porto, and Faro airports was suspended this morning to prevent passengers from missing their flights due to long queues, according to the PSP. “Given the high waiting times at the airports of Faro, Porto, and Lisbon, namely Gago Coutinho Airport, Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport...”, the police stated.
The measure was taken due to long waiting times, the PSP reports.
The European Union's new border control system—the European Entry/Exit System—which became fully operational on Friday (10/04), has caused massive queues at the airport.
On Friday, April 10, Parliament will debate a proposal by the Liberal Initiative (IL) to promote competition in road transport through open access to terminals and interfaces. This follows a dispute where Flixbus was denied access to the Sete Rios terminal by the Rede Nacional de Expressos (RNE) due to alleged safety concerns, a decision later overturned in court. The IL argues that current infrastructure is ill-equipped for market liberalisation, noting that terminals are often managed by incumbent operators who restrict access to competitors. The debate involves five different parliamentary initiatives from IL, Livre, PSD, Chega, and PCP, highlighting conflicting views on whether infrastructure should be controlled by private operators, municipalities, or the state.
A two-day strike begins this Thursday and will be repeated next Tuesday for the entire day. The Arbitration Court decided not to set minimum services, meaning the stoppage will be total.
Nearly 90 fines per day have not stopped the chaos at the viewpoints. Residents complain about noise and the obstruction of pavements; the City Council promises stricter regulations later this year.
One year after the new rules for tuk-tuks came into force in Lisbon, the local authority has recorded more than 24,000 fines, an average of 88 per day. Tourism entertainment associations consider the overall balance positive, but criticise discrimination in enforcement.
