The proposal is contained in an open letter addressed to ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal and also sent to the Government, to which Lusa had access, in which the signatories advocate moving the location of the runways about five kilometres to the west, making it coincide with the current military runway at the Alcochete Shooting Range.
According to local associations and authorities, the adjustment is based on technical studies carried out by public entities, such as the National Civil Engineering Laboratory (LNEC), and by specialised teams linked to local associations, which point to significant environmental, social and economic benefits.
A study was also requested from the Spanish consultancy Abaleo S.L., with conclusions along the same lines.
“It is not a question of the airport’s strategic location, but rather the opportunity to fine-tune its implementation while the project is still at a stage where technical decisions can and should be considered,” say the signatories.
While ANA is preparing the environmental and technical reports for Luís de Camões Airport, the residents’ associations and parish councils that signed the letter say they want to “contribute to the ongoing debate on the location” of the infrastructure.
According to the studies cited by the entities, this alternative micro-location could reduce the number of residents affected by aircraft noise in the early stages of the project by around 70%, which corresponds to more than 4,000 people, a number that could be around three times higher in the future, removing them from levels considered critical for noise exposure.
The proposal also points to direct gains in public health and quality of life, with a particular impact on the most vulnerable populations, such as children and the elderly, as well as improvements in the project’s carbon efficiency resulting from reduced average distance between the airport and Lisbon.
Another argument presented concerns the concentration of infrastructure on public land already allocated for aeronautical and military use, which would reduce or eliminate the need for additional expropriations, as well as the economic, social, and administrative costs associated with prolonged expropriation processes.
The associations and parish councils recognise that any airport location option will involve significant environmental impacts, but argue that the final decision should be based on a transparent, verifiable, and supported by technical data.
Regarding the cork oak forest, they argue that “if an airport city is developed to the east and west of the airport, the difference in impact on the forest will be marginal, since most of the cork oaks would end up being felled in any scenario”.
In addition, they point out that “the location 5 km to the west allows for the replacement and regeneration of the forest to the east with more resistant species, contributing significantly to the ‘carbon bubble’ and the ecological resilience of the region.
The signatories also express their full willingness to collaborate with ANA, the Government, and the competent authorities, acting as institutional interlocutors in the process, and emphasise that the proposal aims to contribute to a “more balanced and socially sustainable” solution for the new airport.
They assure that this proposal is not intended to “delay the project or politicise it, but rather to make it more robust, more balanced and socially more sustainable, while it is still possible to fine-tune decisions with consequences for several decades”.
The letter was sent to the Ministries of Infrastructure and Housing, Environment and Energy, Economy and Territorial Cohesion, and State and Finance.
The signatories include the Union of Parishes of Pegões, Union of Parishes of Poceirão and Marateca, and Mata do Duque II Residents,” Association, Association of Owners and Residents of Herdade do Zambujeiro, and Association of Owners of Mata do Duque I.