Portugal's government wants Lisbon's long-promised new airport to welcome its first plane in 2034 — a full year ahead of the timeline currently held by the operator.
Infrastructure Minister Miguel Pinto Luz made the request at the VIII Portuguese Tourism Summit in Lisbon, formally asking ANA Aeroportos to make a "collective effort" so the Luís de Camões Airport in Alcochete can open in 2034 rather than 2035 or 2036. ANA's chairman José Luís Arnaut says the operator shares the ambition, but points out that other public bodies need to speed up too — namely the Portuguese Environment Agency, the nature conservation institute ICNF, and the Finance Ministry. If their assessments are streamlined within the law, construction could also start earlier.
Even so, 2034 is a target, not a confirmed date. The project still has major milestones ahead: ANA will submit a financial report in January 2027 and a final report in January 2028. The government then intends to decide within three months whether to proceed with ANA, with Pinto Luz saying the construction go-ahead would come at the end of the first quarter of 2028.
The price tag is still fluid. ANA's initial proposal, presented in July, put construction costs at between €7.9 billion and €8.9 billion, though the final figure won't be known until the design is locked down. The government insists the whole thing will be funded with 100% private investment — no public money — and has promised transparency on the eventual cost.
There's a twist in the financing model. ANA, owned by French infrastructure group Vinci, wants to extend its concession to run Portugal's airports beyond 2062. The logic: a longer concession would let it absorb the enormous upfront investment, which would come from Vinci's own capital, with ANA taking on the full traffic risk before the airport reverts to the State.
Why does this matter to travellers? Lisbon's existing Humberto Delgado Airport has been bursting at the seams for years, and Portugal's tourism industry — now a cornerstone of the economy — has repeatedly flagged that lack of capacity as the main brake on growth. More slots and a modern hub would likely mean more routes, more competition and better fares for anyone flying to Portugal. Airlines are holding back for now: TAP's chairman Carlos Oliveira said the carrier probably won't start adapting its operations until ANA's final report lands in early 2028.
In short: the wheels are turning on Portugal's biggest infrastructure project, but the 2034 date depends on approvals, financing and construction all happening faster than usual. Anyone planning Portuguese holidays this decade should watch the 2028 decision point — that's when the new airport goes from ambition to certainty.
