The list of challenges in the country’s airport infrastructure is extensive and there are concerns that, for the president of the Portuguese Hotel Association (AHP), could further compromise tourist activity next summer.
This is the case of the new European system for automated control of external borders, the Entry/Exit System (EES), for non-EU passengers, which caused long queues when it was implemented in October last year. Entries and exits are now recorded electronically, replacing the old passport stamp system.
The Government has meanwhile suspended the mechanism until the end of next month following the constraints registered and the end of this moratorium is a cause for warning for Bernardo Trindade.
“We know about the effort that the government has made to help with the mobilization of GNR agents to join the permanent staff of agents at airports. We know about the effort that ANA has made to find space for more boxes, but the challenge is huge. We now have a new handling concessionaire at airports on the continent. So many open questions, namely union issues and the deadline for replacement is scheduled for May”, he listed this Wednesday, 11th, during his speech at the opening session of the 35th AHP Congress taking place in Porto.
The sum of the challenges leads to another chaotic summer in Portela. “I’m really worried about the high season. There are a lot of patches under the same infrastructure”, he said. The president of AHP highlighted the need to find answers, also warning of the need to study the burden on cities.
“We are supporters of the market economy, now when demand is constrained by the airport, more hotels in densely populated areas, it means having the same people distributed across more hotels. We said this in Lisbon where, with the airport saturated, according to the consultants we will have 45 more hotels by 2028, we say this in Porto, where by 2028 we will have more than 35 new hotels. The 17 million passengers at Francisco Sá Carneiro do not represent saturation, requires looking at the current infrastructure”, he warned.
Looking at the airlines, the hoteliers’ representative regretted the departure of Ryanair from the Azores, arguing that the end of the low cost operation in the region “raises concerns”. “The uncertainty of SATA’s future is another serious problem. The Azores risk becoming a summer tourist destination. Now, no businessman pays expenses, including salaries and operations, six months of the year”, he noted.
TAP already praised for the new investments announced in Porto“an old claim”, he says. “This new centrality in Portugal is decisive. For TAP, for tourism and for Portugal. We agree with the Government in maintaining 50.1% of TAP’s capital in Portugal. We bring new capital, but maintain centrality in Portugal”, he said.
“Just the day before yesterday we met with one of the three competitors for the privatization of TAP, and it is impressive to see the strategic interest and potential they perceive in TAP. The issue of percentage of capital [a comprar] it’s not a problem. Good thing, neither for them nor for us, Portugal”, he assured.
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