All flights between Lisbon and Brussels have been cancelled today in the wake of a new round of terror attacks in the Belgian capital that have killed and seriously injured dozens of people.
Just in from noticiasaominuto website is the news that the whole area of Lisbon’s check in has been evacuated.
With the story in constant development, the website has simply reported that “security measures have arrived in Portugal” as a result of today’s atrocities. The alert in Lisbon may be due to a suspicious package, the site adds. PSP police and airport security have cleared the area.
Earlier, a source for ANA airports authority confirmed to Lusa that a total of six TAP flights to Brussels from Lisbon will not be going ahead, while five from Brussels to Lisbon are also cancelled.
One flight arrived in Lisbon early this morning as it took off from Brussels before the explosions, said the spokesman while news on the death-toll (currently reported by press on the ground to be 25) and injuries (official figures: 55 but likely to increase) is still coming through.
For travellers booked on flights today, TAP is flying to Luxembourg – from which destination passengers can then take a bus to Brussels if they cannot wait to reschedule for another day.
Brussels meantime remains in a transport lockdown, as the blasts at the airport at 8am local time this morning were followed by explosions in the city’s Metro and purported blasts elsewhere, including a police station.
In Portugal, Económico website reports that president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is planning to address the nation at 12.30 today from Belém Palace.
As the news of the attacks develops on air, secretary of state for the communities, José Luís Carneiro has confirmed that one Portuguese national has been injured.
The 30-year-old woman from Coimbra was one of the dozens hurt in the Maalbeek Metro blast.
She was treated in hospital, but is already home, Carneiro has told Lusa.
natasha.donn@algarveresident.com
