The environmental association Zero called this Friday for the “massive participation of all” in the public consultation process of an ordinance on night flights at the Lisbon airport, also asking the City Council of the capital to “protect its citizens”.
In a statement, Zero indicates that “a public consultation process has been initiated on an ordinance” aimed at “allow unlimited night flights at Lisbon airport” and “encourages citizens, entities and civil society organizations concerned about this unsustainable situation to constitute themselves before August 18 (inclusive) as interested in this public consultation”, which will be announced later.
The public consultation is about “the revocation for a time not yet defined” of the ordinance that “establishes limits to the airport operation in the period from 00:00 to 06:00 hours, both in terms of the number of flights that can occur (…), and regarding the aircraft that can operate based on their noise emissions”, says Zero.
According to the environmental NGO, it is “a poorly reasoned process”, given that the documents available for the constitution of interested parties in the public consultation “are extremely scarce in their argumentation” and do not provide “any context or technical justification”.
Also don’t mention “how long it will last” the “updating of the air traffic control system for reasons of civil aviation safety” presented as a justification for the removal of restrictions on night flights, it adds.
In Zero’s opinion, the justification of the reason is not only insufficient, it also seems implausible, since it is not clear how the elimination of the limitations on air movements facilitates the updating of the control system of the same, “the statement indicates.
Zero also considers that it is a process “made to reduce citizen participation” by launching during the holidays and having a period of only two weeks, noting that “a weak participation in the constitution of the interested parties will result in a weak participation. in consultation”.
Even if it is “temporarily”, the repeal of the limits on night flights will open the door “to fly over Lisbon 24 hours a day without restrictionswith devastating impacts on more than 150,000 citizens affected by the unhealthy and illegal noise levels of air traffic”, warns the NGO.
Along the same lines, the environmental organization GEOTA (Group for Territory Planning and Environmental Studies, whose president, João Dias Coelho, told the Portuguese news agency on Thursday that the government “is not being clear” on the issue of night flights and The organization has “serious doubts” about the proposal to lift the ban on night flights in the capital.
João Dias Coelho considered that, given the specific situation, this should be included in the Government’s proposal, which “in practical terms (…) limited the participation of citizens in this consultation.”
The process “seems like an opening to extend for longer” the possibility of night flights, increasing noise levels, pollution and risk/safety, said the GEOTA president.
NAV (Air Navigation) wants to extend the night flight schedule in Lisbon, between October 18 and November 29, to implement a new “Top Sky” control system.
NAV wants an exceptional period for night flights in Lisbon to update the control system
An official NAV source explained to Lusa that it is about extending the flight schedule in Lisbon, for the night period, not to increase the volume of traffic, but to distribute flights in more hoursthus allowing the air traffic control system to be updated as of October 18.
In July, the environmental association Zero denounced that the noise levels at the Lisbon airport exceed the legal limits and warned that the night flight restriction regime is also not being complied with, citing measurements made in the week that began on July 11 and that they pointed to a total of 140 movements between 00:00 and 06:00.
Source: Observadora
