Project of a new airport in Santarém to relieve Lisbon Airport

Carlos Brazão, the promoter of the Magellan 500 consortium, says that the new airport in Santarém, Portugal, could be ready to receive its first plane in five years. The project is private and aims to relieve the busy Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon. Brazão states that the project has several advantages:

1. Quick to build: If stakeholders agree, the first phase could be ready in five years.
2. No taxpayer cost: The project is privately funded.  The initial investment is estimated 1.2 billion euros.
3. Good location: The site is strategically placed near multiple highways and is above flood levels.
4. Transport Links: Santarém is around 80 kilometers from Lisbon, but it takes only 29 minutes to get to the city center by high-speed train. The Barraqueiro group, a major transport company, is one of the consortium partners, focusing on land mobility like shuttles, trains, and buses.
   
5. Comparison with Other Projects: Compared to the Alcochete project, which would cost 7.6 billion euros and be operational by 2035, the Santarém project is quicker and cheaper. Another option, Montijo, could be ready in four years but would only serve as a supplementary airport with limited capacity.
   
6. Scalable: The airport can expand as demand increases, up to 100 million passengers.

The project is designed to be environmentally friendly and could even be ready in four years if administrative processes are sped up. Brazão says the project doesn't depend on Humberto Delgado Airport closing to be profitable.