The new airport is projected to be completed in 2034, at which time the existing Lisbon Airport will be shut down. It is projected to cost up to €9 billion and will be funded from European Union funds, public-private partnerships, and airport tariffs. It will have the capability of meeting projected demand of 100 million passengers annually by 2050, an increase from current Lisbon air traffic of approximately 30 million passengers per year.[4][5] The airport will have two runways with capacity for up to 95 movements per hour with the possibility of expanding to up to four runways.[6][7]
The airport is to be named after 16th century poet Luís de Camões.[8]
In 2017, Ryanair was a major proponent of converting the Montijo Air Base into a facility for low-cost carriers; the company said that the new airport could be operational with as little as €25 million.[6]
In October 2019, the Portuguese Environment Agency gave approval for construction of Montijo Airport if it met certain conditions including sound insulation requirements and restrictions on flights between midnight and 6AM.[15] This permit, enacted in January 2020, eventually expired in January 2024, after the agency rejected the renewal request submitted by ANA-Vinci, leading to ultimately unsuccessful legal objections from the airport operator.[16][17] In its 2024 decision, the Environment Agency cited increasing environmental concerns following new studies done in the area, most notably a negative opinion by the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests.[17][18]
In March 2021, the National Authority of Civil Aviation of Portugal rejected the formal evaluation request for construction of Montijo Airport submitted by airport operator ANA Aeroportos de Portugal, citing disagreements with the nearby municipalities as well as environmental concerns. The government then evaluated changing the law or selecting another location for the airport.[19]
^"Capítulo 3 — Descrição do Projecto" [Chapter 3 — Project description]. Estudo de Impacte Ambiental do Novo Aeroporto de Lisboa [Environmental Impact Assessment of the New Lisbon Airport] (Technical report). Vol. I. NAER. 2010. pp. 329, 338. Tomo 1 [Tome 1].
^ ab"Capítulo 3 — Descrição do Projecto" [Chapter 3 — Project description]. Estudo de Impacte Ambiental do Novo Aeroporto de Lisboa [Environmental Impact Assessment of the New Lisbon Airport] (Technical report). Vol. I. NAER. 2010. pp. 106–107, 143, 162. Tomo 1 [Tome 1].
^ ab"Peça Desenhada 5.13.1 - Pista e Caminhos de Circulação Secções Tipo de Pavimentos" [Working Drawing 5.13.1 - Runway and taxiways - pavement cross-section]. Estudo de Impacte Ambiental do Novo Aeroporto de Lisboa [Environmental Impact Assessment of the New Lisbon Airport] (Technical report). Vol. I. NAER. 2010. Tomo 5 - Peças Desenhadas [Tome 5 — Working Drawings].
^"Processo AIA n.º 2251" [EIA case nr. 2251]. Sistema de Informação sobre Avaliação de Impacte Ambiental [Environmental Impact Assessment Information System] (in Portuguese). Portuguese Environment Agency. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
^"Capítulo 3 — Descrição do Projecto" [Chapter 3 — Project description]. Estudo de Impacte Ambiental do Novo Aeroporto de Lisboa [Environmental Impact Assessment of the New Lisbon Airport] (Technical report). Vol. I. NAER. 2010. p. 137. Tomo 1 [Tome 1].