Lisbon airport is set to ban night flights in response to years of complaints and protests by local residents.
Portugal’s Minister for Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, made the announcement in parliament on 7 November 2024, during scrutiny of the proposed State Budget, telling delegates the measure took into account the findings of a working group on the problem.
In the light of widespread “criticism from municipalities, mayors and citizens regarding the noise caused by airplanes, as well as pollution”, Pinto Luz called the move a “giant step forward”, declaring: “I can announce here that we are going to implement a ‘hard curfew’ that will prevent flights between 01:00 and 05:00 in the morning.”
Existing cap is regularly ignored
Authorities had already imposed a cap on the number of night flights, limiting them to 92-a-week. But, according to campaign groups such as non-governmental organisation Zero, that quota is regularly being exceeded. During recent protests outside Humberto Delgado Airport metro station, a member of campaign platform “Airport out, Lisbon improves” (Aeroporto fora, Lisboa melhora) pointed out that studies have found around 160 nighttime flights taking place each week, in direct contravention of the rules.
Sergio Morais told Portugal Resident that around 300,000 to 380,000 people are affected by the aircraft noise and have a “right to rest”. The night flights cause residents to “sleep badly, classes are interrupted, medical appointments are interrupted, the smell of fuel and hypertension is also related to noise.”
Casting doubt over the effectiveness of the four-hour nighttime ban, the protest group has pointed out that the curfew applies to a time when hardly any flights occur anyway. They have also demanded to know if the ban is total or whether delayed scheduled flights will be allowed to land during the supposed stoppage time.
Ban not enough, move the airport, critics say
As a result of these uncertainties, the protesters want action that goes beyond a night flight ban, and are calling for a halt to expansion plans for the airport. Located seven kilometres northeast of the capital, Humberto Delgado is an aging domestic and international hub, that will take approximately three years to update at a cost of around €300 million. Instead, the concerned residents say the facility should be moved to another location.
Lisbon is not the only European capital struggling with the noise pollution and sleep disturbances brought by night flights. Dublin has faced ultimatums over the issue and a legal row has been ongoing for years in Brussels, where accusations have flown that routes disproportionately affect Flemish communes and millions of euros have been paid out in compensation.
