O administrator of ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal, Francisco Pitawas one of the speakers on the panel “Importance of aviation in the destination” during the XX Congress of ADHP (Association of Hotel Directors of Portugal) and clarified that works at Humberto Delgado airport should begin in the last quarter of this year, and “the tender for the contract will be launched in the coming weeks”.
The first phase of this work, which will allow “improving operability, increasing parking numbers”, “should be completed by the end of 2026”.
“We will have 10 more contact positions with the creation of the new Pier Sul, with around 33 thousand square meters of construction, which will have a very important impact in terms of passenger comfort. It will also make a huge contribution to reducing our carbon emissions, as with these 10 positions next to the terminal we will avoid a huge amount of bus and board equipment movements between the terminal and remote positions”, explained Francisco Pita.
Given this statement, Sofia Lufinha, member of the TAP board of directors, highlighted that “Lisbon airport is not efficient” and “everything to improve is to improve the passenger experience and to improve efficiency”. “Still, the capacity is what it is. We will be able to improve a little, but growth will not be through Lisbon airport, so we have to have more creativity to do something different”.
Already António Moura Portugal, executive director of RENA – Association of Airlines in Portugal, said that “if the airport has been under construction for a long time, what we companies are contesting is the priority. ANA, as soon as it won the concession, prioritized work on the commercial side.” The person in charge also recalled that “these works are happening because there was a resolution from the Council of Ministers that forced ANA to carry out the works” and, therefore, “let it be clear that ANA’s priority was not the efficiency of the infrastructure for the operators”, those who “are operating in a limited infrastructure”.
The executive director of RENA also brought to the table that aviation is “a sector where competition is global, and Portugal, as a destination, competes with others”. Giving examples such as KLM, Air France and Lufthansa, which have been traveling to national territory for decades, António Moura Portugal stressed that “we cannot take these for granted players and we cannot take for granted that they will continue to fly here with the same frequencies and with the same level of aircraft.” Thus, “let us make our country a sought-after destination, where there are no obstacles, where there are no limitations to this capacity, which at least do not place us in a position of competitive disadvantage”.
The 20th ADHP Congress took place at the Aveiro Congress Center, on the 21st and 22nd of March, and will return next year with a location yet to be defined.
By Diana Fonseca, at the XX ADHP Congress, in Aveiro
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Tags: ADHP Congress Work Lisbon airport start year guarantees ANA
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