According to the 2019 RCM, the Air Force was authorized to incur expenditure on the acquisition of goods and services associated with the necessary transfers up to a maximum amount of 18.8 million euros, plus VAT.
Although they hope that the new system will contribute to reducing delays at Lisbon airport, NAV officials highlighted that this does not only depend on airspace, but above all on infrastructure, highlighting that, in 2023, the contribution of air traffic control to Flight delays were 10%.
The PMS was only tested for Lisbon and was being worked on at a time when a dual airport solution was envisaged with Portela + Montijo, to gradually increase the capacity of the Lisbon airport system from 44 to 72 movements per hour (46 in Lisbon, two in Cascais and 24 in Montijo).
The Montijo location was, however, considered unfeasible by the Independent Technical Commission (CTI) responsible for the strategic environmental assessment of the new airport, which recommended a single solution in Alcochete or Vendas Novas, but pointed out that Humberto Delgado + Santarém “could be a provisional” solution .
Even before becoming prime minister, the social democratic leader, Luís Montenegro, had guaranteed that the decision on the new airport would be taken “in the first days” of his government.
