Low cost airline Ryanair has reportedly thrown its weight behind calls to the government to ‘stop wasting any more time’, and open an overspill airport to service Lisbon at the Montijo airport base, across the river from struggling Portela. In a statement sent to the press, the airline suggests “there is no more time left to waste with studies and commissions”: the logical choice is Montijo, to be run by a competitor of ANA airports authority, which is seen to be taking advantage of its current monopoly in Portugal by increasing airport taxes from next year. The problem with Ryanair’s solution however is that it does not factor in the complaint to the European commission threatened by environmental NGOs, which insist Montijo is a ‘rotten plan’.
Ryanair “unyielding” over new Lisbon airport: it must be Montijo
CEO of Ryanair Michael O'Leary is frequently critical of the sloth involved in moving forwards with a much needed overspill airport for the capital
