The Alentejo and Ribatejo Regional Tourism Authority (ERT) is reportedly outlining a plan to attract commercial airlines and routes to Beja Airport (BYJ), with implementation envisioned within two years.
Odds in favour and odds against
ERT’s president, José Santos, argued that the airport’s infrastructure is being underutilised and that its potential to promote tourism in the region is being ignored.
“Tourist destinations with airports cannot afford not to use them,” he told the newspaper Diário de Notícias (DN).
Santos has already presented a preliminary study on implementing the plan to ANA Aeroportos, TAP Air Portugal, and other airlines. ANA, Portugal’s main airport operator, “has shown great interest and openness,” according to Santos.
Thanks to luxury investments in the Alentejo towns of Melides and Comporta, hotel capacity is expected to boom, reaching 35,000 tourist beds in the short term – an increase of 5,000.
Beja’s mayor, Nuno Palma Ferro, while complementing ERT’s initiative, expressed scepticism, according to the DN, that it could succeed without improved rail links and the completion of the A26 highway.
“We will support all projects aimed at strengthening Beja Airport, and I believe that the infrastructure can be a very attractive hub for commercial aviation. However, accessibility remains the main concern. The right conditions must be in place, and the Government must provide a response after so many years,” Ferro told the DN.
About the Beja Airport
The Beja Airport began operations in 2011, but it had been functioning as a military air base since 1964. Despite governmental efforts, air traffic to the airport has remained low, with most experts attributing that to the lack of rail and road links.
The airport is also the only infrastructure in mainland Portugal capable of receiving an Airbus A380, the world’s largest commercial aircraft.
Due to its size and location, many even argued that Beja Airport was a better alternative to building a second airport in Lisbon. The idea was defended by environmental NGOs, namely Quercus, but didn’t receive governmental backing.
Since the government issued a public call for proposals in March this year to complete the A26 highway, many have hoped that Beja Airport might become more attractive to airlines. Santos said accessibility would be decisive for the airport’s operations.
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