Previous heliport was universally recognised as outdated
Monchique, the scenic mountain range town in the Algarve, has inaugurated a new heliport, officially named the Municipal Air Support and Civil Protection Centre of Monchique.
Replacing the outdated municipal heliport, the new facility in Sítio do Semedeiro represents a significant €2.1 million investment, co-funded by the EU’s INTERREG Spain-Portugal Programme.
This new centre allows for the year-round pre-positioning of both personnel and equipment, ensuring that emergency response teams and resources are in place and ready to act at a moment’s notice.
Among the facility’s key features are a support building for crew operations, a water tank with a capacity of 150 cubic meters, and ample parking facilities for emergency vehicles and crew transport.
At the heart of the centre is a new heliport specially designed to host aerial firefighting aircraft year-round. This heliport’s primary focus is rural fire response, with coverage prioritised for the western Algarve and lower Alentejo regions – two areas which are known to be particularly vulnerable to wildfires. Just last week, Monchique saw the relaunch of the Renature Monchique project, which aims to restore the areas affected by Monchique’s highly destructive 2018 wildfire and protect the endangered Monchique oak, a critically threatened species.
Another advantage of the new heliport is that it has relocated aerial firefighting operations out of Monchique’s central area, where operational conditions were previously limited due to space and accessibility constraints. The new site, in contrast, is designed to provide ideal conditions for efficient and safe deployment.
In addition to firefighting, the heliport is also equipped for medical emergency operations. This feature enables medical helicopters to serve the region, including for nighttime operations.
