Technical commission’s report opens door on new controversy
Even before the dust settled on yesterday’s report into the location for Lisbon’s ‘new airport’, controversies were being aired.
A new complex in Alcochete will cost billions of euros “the country doesn’t have”; will require further billions spent on rail connectivity; may not suit ANA airports authority, etc etc.
There has even been the suggestion that a future government ‘may not agree’ with the location of Alcochete, in spite of the exhaustively thorough opinion formulated (at considerable expense) by independent technical experts.
Thus, today’s ‘reality’ is that a location has indeed been pushed to the fore, but there is still no certainty.
In addition, even if construction were to start ‘rapidly’, the new airport is almost certain to be at least another seven years away.
All this leads back to the ‘concerns of the tourism industry’, which saw very little in the form of the Plans B and C that it has been calling for, for years…
Talking yesterday to CNN Portugal, ANA’s president José Luís Arnaut, stressed the ‘long-term’ nature of the technical commission’s preference for Alcochete (see below), suggesting that there was “a series of errors, problems and inaccurate data” in the commission’s report.
“Portugal has a short-term problem”, he told his interviewers. “We’re losing around €1.4 billion in tourism revenue; we’re losing around 1.2 million passengers and airplane seats so far due to a lack of slots in Lisbon – and the possible solution, which can be done in 36 months and costs the taxpayer nothing, is Montijo”.
Montijo has always been ANA’s preference, over the advice of many sectors of society, from environmentalists to mayors principally concerned over the health effects on their populations.
Former PCP communist leader Jerónimo de Sousa spoke some time ago about ANA’s owning company, the Vinci group, putting pressure on the government for the Montijo option (which the PS candidate for secretary-general Pedro Nuno Santos even struck out for on his own, in another colourful incident of the recent past).
Historic reports unearthed by SIC Notícias add that ANA “had admitted the possibility of accepting construction” at Alcochete “if, in return, the State agreed to extend its concession for a further 25 years”.
A company source has equally told Negócios online that ANA “remains at the disposal of the Portuguese State to share its knowledge of the complex problems in this sector and implement the solution that will be the subject of its (meaning the government’s) decision”.
“The commission (CTI) has taken on an orientation, responding to an idealistic long-term vision, without being able to respond to the real and pragmatic problems of the short and medium term that are fundamental for the country”, stressed the source.
Meantime, ANA has guaranteed it will continue to carry out work that the government deems necessary at Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado/ Portela airport to maintain “its proper functioning”.
According to AirHelp, however, proper functioning may mean little: the airport was most recently considered “the fourth worst in the world” by passengers”, but has consistently been voted a ‘poor show’ when it comes to the notion of seamless travel.
Mayor of Benavente sets record straight: it’s not really Alcochete
Carlos Coutinho, mayor of Benavente, has welcomed the technical commission’s report, stressing that it is time the confusion about ‘Alcochete’s geographical location’ was fully clarified.
The Air Force Shooting Range, also known as the Alcochete Shooting Range which has been earmarked as the best option for the new infrastructure has, in reality “no square centimetre of the municipality of Alcochete in its location” – being mostly located in the parish of Samora Correia, in the municipality of Benavente.
A small part of the Alcochete Shooting Range also sits in the parish of Canha, in the municipality of Montijo (district of Setúbal), clarifies Coutinho.
That said, Carlos Coutinho is full of optimism, saying the choice of the Alcochete Shooting Range has always been one of the most logical.
Yesterday’s report also mentioned a second option, Vendas Novas, in the district of Évora. But very little is being mentioned in the press today about Vendas Novas, largely because Alcochete has always been ‘a strong contender’.
Carlos Coutinho also stressed that even with the airport, he wants a model of “balance and sustainable development” for his municipality, which does not affect “the human condition”, meaning his population’s quality of life.
Yesterday’s report is now open for public consultation for 30 working days (until January 19), after which the Independent Technical Commission, following assessment of “the rationality, merit, opportunity and technical relevance” of each contribution “in the light of the critical factors for the decision”, will then draw up the final report, writes Lusa.
This final report will then conclude the commission’s mandate. ND
Source material: SIC Notícias/ LUSA
