Lisbon Airport

Developments

The airport opened on 15 October 1942 during the Second World War, and initially worked in articulation with the Cabo Ruivo Seaplane Base: seaplanes performed transatlantic flights, and passengers were transferred onto continental flights operating from the new airport. As a neutral airport it was open to both German and British airlines, it was a hub for smuggling people into, out of and all around Europe, as widely referenced in the classic film Casablanca, whose plot revolved around an escape attempt to Lisbon airport. As such, it was heavily monitored by both Axis and Allied spies. Although Portugal was neutral, the airport was used by allied flights en route to Gibraltar, North Africa and Cairo.

At the end of the war the airport developed quickly and by 1946 was used by major airlines like Air France, British European Airways, Iberia, KLM, Sabena, Pan Am and Trans World Airlines and by 1954 the number of passengers had reached 100,000.

A 1951–52 airport diagram shows four runways at 45-deg angles: 1350-m runway 5, 1024-m rwy 9, 1203-m rwy 14, and 1170-m rwy 18. Runways 5 and 36 were each being extended northward to become 1999 m.

A major upgrade in 1959–62 included a new runway capable of taking the first generation jets, Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8. The first jet aircraft movement was an Air France Caravelle in 1960. In 1962 runway 03/21 came into use, it was 3,130 m (10,270 ft) and would allow direct transatlantic flights. The first direct flight to New York was operated by a TWA Boeing 707 who also operated the first Boeing 747 service in 1970. When TAP ordered the 747, five large parking bays were built in 1972 and the terminal was enlarged. A major upgrade to the buildings and facilities was started in 1983 and the first air bridges were added in 1991.

Along with the airports in Beja, Porto, Faro, Flores, Santa Maria, Ponta Delgada and Horta, the airport's concessions to provide support to civil aviation was conceded to ANA Aeroportos de Portugal on 18 December 1998, under provisions of decree 404/98. With this concession, ANA was also provided to the planning, development and construction of future infrastructures.

Relocation plans

The airport is now surrounded by urban development, being one of the few airports in Europe located inside a major city. This led to a national debate on whether to keep the present location or to build a new airport; the last option was chosen. Initially, Ota, a village 50 km (31 mi) north of Lisbon, was chosen as one of the sites for the new airport. In 2007 an independent study coordinated by the Portuguese Industry Confederation (CIP) suggested Alcochete as an alternative location (see Alcochete Airport). In Alcochete a military training facility currently occupies the site, but the military agreed to abandon the location provided it could transfer its facility to a different area. A second government-contracted study led by the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering (LNEC) concluded in late 2007 that Alcochete was the best location.

The selection of Alcochete was announced on 10 January 2008, more than 35 years after the first capacity increase studies were initiated. Portuguese government announced that Alcochete was the preliminary choice, to be finalised after public consultation. The location of Alcochete as the construction site of the future Lisbon Airport was confirmed by the government on 8 May 2008, but the contract was shelved as part of Portugal's cost-cutting measures, and completely dismissed from Portugal's transportation strategy plans in July 2013, with investment being concentrated on expanding and further improving the existing Lisbon Airport infrastructure.

In November 2006, the company operating the airport, ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal, announced an expansion plan for some airport structures, in order to respond to current passenger traffic growth trends and full capacity use of the airport, which had been intended to respond to growth until the new airport was to be finished in 2017. This plan involved the construction of Terminal 2 (concluded and operational since August 2007) and expansion of Terminal 1, with new boarding gates (concluded in 2011), a large new shopping and restaurant area, new airbridges and new parking positions and a more efficient use of currently existing structures and a new underground Metro de Lisboa station, inaugurated in July 2012.

Terminal 2 is used by 6 scheduled low-cost flight airlines for departures to European destinations, while Terminal 1 handles all arrivals and regular scheduled and chartered flights. In October 2010, the European low cost airline easyJet officially opened a new base at Lisbon Airport, exclusively using Terminal 2 for departures to 20 destinations. A free shuttle bus connects Terminal 1 Departures area and Terminal 2 every 10 minutes.

Between 2007 and 2013 several improvements and expansions have been performed upon Lisbon Airport. These included the construction of Terminal 2 and lighting along with baggage claim refurbishment, new cargo facilities, fuel storage, north pier and boarding lounge, north bus gate and baggage claim, enlargement of express cargo facilities, electrical refurbishments, departure lounge refurbishments and underground station and other terminal improvements all of which have been completed. As part of the definite solution for Lisbon Airport, in July 2013 a new commercial area was inaugurated in the Terminal 1 air side area, with 20 new stores and spacious naturally lighted internal circulation areas. In July 2015, a much bigger food court was introduced catering for most people's tastes and delicacies.

With the long-term concession of ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal to the French group Vinci Airports the project for a new airport was postponed in July 2013, and it was decided that the existing Lisbon Airport would be further upgraded to surpass 22 million passengers annually and would remain the present solution for this major European gateway. Ryanair has predicted that it will double the amount of passengers it carries from the airport in the coming years

Name change

Lisbon city council, in February 2015, unanimously agreed to propose that the name of Lisbon International Airport, currently known as Portela due to its geographical location, be changed to Humberto Delgado Airport. The proposal, tabled by the Socialist leadership under former Mayor António Costa, was agreed to by councillors from across party lines.

The Portuguese government, under current Prime Minister António Costa, announced in February 2016, that the Lisbon Portela Airport, would be renamed on 15 May 2016, after Humberto Delgado in memory of the late Portuguese air force general and famous politician. "He was an opposition figure to the dictatorship regime...and had a very important role in the field of civil aviation," Minister of Planning and Infrastructure Pedro Marques said at a press conference after the meeting of Council of Ministers, stressing that it was Humberto Delgado, who presided over the foundation of Portugal's flagship airline TAP and "so it is very fair this assignment name to the airport". 2016 marks the 110 anniversary of the birth of Humberto Delgado who was also known as "General without Fear" due to his staunch opposition to Salazar's rule and his participation in the Portuguese presidential election, 1958.

Terminals

Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport features two passenger terminal buildings:

Terminal 1

Terminal 1 is the main building and features large landside and airside areas containing several shops and service facilities. It consists of two check-in halls, the older one containing 13 desks (1–13) with the newer one housing 68 desks (37–89 and 90–106). The joint departures area features 29 gates most of which are equipped with jet-bridges with 7 of them designated to non-Schengen destinations. As the airport features several more apron stands, bus boarding is also frequently used here. Most airlines use Terminal 1, including TAP Portugal and its Star Alliance partners.

Terminal 2

Terminal 2 is the much smaller and newer of the two, mainly used by low-cost carriers. It is located away from Terminal 1 on the southern border of the airport. It has 21 check-in desks (201–222) and 15 departure gates (201–215) using mainly walk boarding but also bus. There are only basic facilities and a few shops or service counters in Terminal 2 as it can only be reached with a free shuttle service from Terminal 1. The main users of Terminal 2 are easyJet and Ryanair.

Metro

Lisbon airport has an underground Metro de Lisboa station at the Southern edge of the Terminal 1 arrivals area. The metro red line connects the city centre and the other three subway lines with the airport every 6 to 9 minutes, from 06:30 to 01:00; the metro takes 16 minutes to reach the city centre and 5 minutes to Gare do Oriente train and bus station.

Bus

Carris city buses stop just outside Terminal 1 arrivals, with bus route 783 connecting to Marquis of Pombal Square, and Amoreiras and night route 208 (00:30-05:35) to downtown Baixa and Cais do Sodré train station and to Gare do Oriente train station. Two Aerobus routes prepared for travel luggage connect the airport with the downtown area and Cascais train line. Aerobus 1 to Cais do Sodré every 20 minutes between 07:00 and 23:20 on working days and every 25 minutes between 07:00 and 22:50 on weekends and holidays. Aerobus 2 connects to the financial district between 07:30 and 23:00. A bus stop on Av. de Berlim, 100 m East of Terminal 1 is served by three Carris bus routes to various parts of the city: 705, 722 and 744.

Bicycle

Two bicycle paths connect the airport roundabout, situated 300m South of Terminal 1 to the city's 70 km cycle infrastructure network. One path heads West along Av. do Brasil to the Universidade de Lisboa main campus, passing through the central neighbourhoods of Alvalade, Campo Grande and Entrecampos and connecting with other paths to Telheiras, Colegio Militar, Benfica, and Monsanto Forest Park. Another bicycle path heads East from the roundabout towards Olivais, Gare do Oriente train station and Parque das Nações Expo 98 site, connecting with the riverside bicycle path Southwards along Lisbon harbour to Santa Apolónia train station, cruise ship and ferry terminals, and the historic centre, and North to the Caminho do Tejo pilgrimage trail to Fátima and Santiago de Compostela.

Other facilities

TAP Portugal has a complex at Lisbon Airport. The complex is 22.45 hectares (55.5 acres) large. In 1989 TAP became the owner of the complex due to a governmental decree. TAP's head office is in Building 25. The TAP subsidiary Serviços Portugueses de Handling, S.A. (SPdH) has its head office on the 6th floor of Building 25. Sociedade de Gestão e Serviços, S.A. (TAPGER), another TAP subsidiary, has its head office on the 8th floor of the same building. The TAP Museum is also a part of the complex. Building 19 has the head office of Sociedade de Serviços e Engenharia Informática, S.A. (Megasis), a TAP information services subsidiary. The TAP documentation and archive is in the annex of Building 19. Building 34, on the far north side of the complex, houses the company's new data processing centre.

ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal has its head office in Building 120. Portugália has its head office in Building 70. The TAP catering subsidiary, Catering de Portugal, S.A. (CATERINGPOR), has its head office in Building 59. Cuidados Integrados de Saúde, S.A. (UCS) is based out of Building 35.

Accidents and incidents