Portugal announces new Lisbon airport in midst of tourism boom

Portugal have announced the construction of a new airport in Lisbon, as the country enjoys record levels of tourism.

With Lisbon’s main airport operated by VINCI Airports | ANA Aeroportos de Portugal operating at full capacity and the first quarter of 2024 marking a new record for foreign stays in the country’s capital, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro announced the new airport should be ready by 2034. It will be built at the site of a military airfield approximately 40km east of Lisbon. 

Eventually it will replace Lisbon’s current Humberto Delgado airport, but while construction is underway, the current airport will also be expanded. The new airport will be joined by a high-speed rail connection between Lisbon and Madrid, also designated for opening in 2034. To facilitate faster connections into the capital from the new airport, a third bridge will be built across the Tagus river.

The project is estimated to cost up to 9 billion euros, which will be budgeted from a mixture of EU funds, public-private partnerships and airport tariffs. The government plans to initiate talks with airport operator ANA, who already have a concession for a new airport in the Lisbon region.