The government requested a new account from ANA for the new Lisboa Airport: The 2037 date is still not certain

The technical evaluation between the government and ANA in Lisbon's new Luís de Camões Airport project has entered a new phase.

After evaluating the technical report submitted by ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal on July 16, the government sent additional questions to the company, asking for more detailed studies on passenger demand, the layout of the runways, terminal strategy and future expansion plans.

The government also wants to investigate whether it is possible to open the new airport earlier than 2037.

However, this does not mean that the opening date has been brought forward.

What exactly does the government want from ANA?

A few basic topics stand out in the evaluation sent to ANA by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing.

First of all, the government wants to see different growth scenarios for the passenger demand that the new airport will encounter in the future.

Also:

More detailed justification of how the runways and taxiway system will be configured,

Explaining the terminal strategy,

Showing the stages in which the airport will be expanded in the future

and examining the possibility of accelerating the opening schedule

requested.

Why is the single terminal issue being discussed?

One of the important elements in ANA's technical approach is the terminal structuring.

The government asked the company why a particular terminal model was chosen and how it would respond to increased passenger capacity in the future. He wants him to explain his decision in more detail.

The issue here is not just the first-day capacity of the new airport.

The government also wants to see how easily and at what cost the expansion of Luís de Camões Airport can be achieved in the following years.

Is 2037 the exact opening date?

No.

In ANA's current technical scenario, 2037 stands out.

The government wants the timetable to be compressed to open the airport earlier.

But as of today:

It is not possible to give "New Lisboa Airport will open in 2035" or any other early date as a definitive date.

Once the additional studies requested from ANA are completed, a clearer picture regarding the calendar will emerge.

Humberto Delgado will not close immediately

While the new airport project is progressing, the existing Humberto Delgado Airport remains Lisboa's main air transportation infrastructure.

For this reason, investments to improve the capacity and operation of the existing airport in Portela will continue in the coming years.

For PTNewsHub, the next critical document will be ANA's response to the government's questions.

Because that document can clarify not only the design of the new airport, but also when and in what stages Lisboa will move from its current airport to Alcochete.

Resources

Dinheiro Vivo — September 26 2026

https://dinheirovivo.dn.pt/economia/governo-pede-ana-mais-informao-sobre-procura-terminais-e-crescimento-do-novo-aeroporto-de-lisboa

ECO — September 26, 2026

https://eco.sapo.pt/2026/09/26/governo-pede-a-ana-que-justifique-terminal-unico-no-novo-aeroporto-insiste-em-antecipar-calendario/

RTP / Antena 1 — 26 September 2026

https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/noticiario-antena1/11h-governo-pede-a-ana-mais-detalhes-sobre-a-expansao-do-novo-aeroporto-de-lisboa_a1_1767889