Dutch aviation industry explores opportunities in Portugal’s major airport expansion programme
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The Netherlands’ aviation and airport sector is strengthening ties with Portugal as the country embarks on one of Europe’s most ambitious airport infrastructure programmes.
A recent Airport Development & Aviation Innovation Mission to Lisbon, organised by NAG, brought together Dutch companies, knowledge institutes and Portuguese stakeholders to explore opportunities arising from a series of large-scale airport developments planned across the country.
Portugal is currently advancing plans for the new Lisbon airport at Alcochete while simultaneously expanding and modernising Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon. In parallel, significant investment programmes are underway at airports in Porto, Faro and the Portuguese islands. These developments come at a time of continued passenger growth and increasing pressure on airport capacity across the network.
During the mission, the Dutch delegation met with key organisations including ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal (VINCI Airports), NAV Portugal, ANAC, IMT, TIS Consultores and LNEC to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with delivering multiple complex infrastructure projects at the same time.
Several themes emerged consistently throughout the discussions. Future airport capacity, sustainability, digital transformation, integrated mobility and airspace modernisation are all expected to play a critical role in Portugal’s long-term aviation strategy. Stakeholders also highlighted the importance of maintaining operational efficiency and passenger experience while major construction and expansion projects are being delivered.
The programme demonstrated significant opportunities for international collaboration, particularly in areas where Dutch expertise is internationally recognised, including airport planning and design, intelligent airport operations, passenger processing, sustainability solutions and integrated transport systems.
“The scale and pace of Portugal’s airport development ambitions are impressive,” said Paul Eijssen, Managing Director of NAG. “The discussions confirmed that there is strong alignment between Portuguese ambitions and Dutch expertise. We see clear opportunities for knowledge exchange and long-term cooperation as these projects move forward.”
The mission was supported by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Portugal and included participation from a broad range of Dutch aviation and airport industry organisations.
With several major airport projects expected to progress in the coming years, the mission marks an important step in strengthening Dutch-Portuguese cooperation and creating new opportunities for innovation, sustainability and future-ready airport development across Europe.