Lisbon's Terminal 2 Makeover Nears Finish Amid Capacity, Noise Fights

Lisbon residents used to the steady thunder of jet engines may soon experience a different rhythm. The long-promised overhaul of Humberto Delgado Airport’s Terminal 2 is scheduled to wrap up in October 2025, unlocking extra flight slots just as tourist demand rebounds and the capital waits—impatiently—for the green-light on the future Luís de Camões air hub in Alcochete. The €233 M project pledges smoother journeys for passengers, yet it also deepens an ongoing dispute over noise, pollution and the absence of a full environmental study.

Why Terminal 2 Matters for Lisbon and Beyond

For travelers, Terminal 2 has always been the budget-airline annex—cramped, few services, long queues for security. For airlines, however, it is a pressure valve that keeps the airport’s single runway from seizing up. By pushing the hourly ceiling from 38 to 45 aircraft movements by 2028, ANA-Vinci hopes to postpone gridlock until a second airport is ready. That short-term fix, critics warn, could lock the city into a louder, more carbon-heavy future if flights multiply faster than mitigation measures.

A €233 M Construction Marathon Nears the Finish Line

Work officially began in late 2023 under a consortium led by Mota-Engil and Vinci. Crews first tore into ageing baggage belts and reinforced the building’s shell. December 2024 marked the hand-over of a refurbished arrivals zone; the summer of 2025 should see a glazed departure hall connected by air-bridges. ANA says October will bring the definitive opening, after which the terminal is expected to handle roughly 8 M passengers a year—double its pre-pandemic throughput—without touching public coffers, since all funding comes from the concessionaire’s balance sheet.

From Check-in Desks to Boarding Gates: What Travelers Will Notice

Holiday-makers landing on low-cost carriers can expect a more intuitive layout: self-service kiosks, wider security lanes equipped with CT scanners that let laptops stay in bags, and a sun-lit food court overlooking the apron. Eight new boarding gates—two fitted with biometric e-gates—replace the former bus-boarding gauntlet, while energy-efficient HVAC and LED panels aim to trim the terminal’s footprint. Passengers will move through 33 000 m² of revamped space, roughly the size of four football pitches, stitched directly into the existing metro, taxi and ride-share flows.

Legal Clouds: The Unfinished Environmental Debate

The Public Prosecutor’s Office has asked the Supreme Administrative Court to annul earlier construction licences, arguing that any upgrade likely to boost capacity requires a full Avaliação de Impacte Ambiental. The APA (Portuguese Environment Agency) initially sided with ANA, stating a study becomes mandatory only once traffic exceeds current legal limits. Opponents counter that the expansion’s sole purpose is precisely to raise that ceiling, making the lack of an EIA a procedural flaw. A ruling is expected in early 2026, months after ribbon-cutting.

Noise, Pollution and the Price of Convenience

Lisbon’s 300 000-plus residents living under the flight path contend that the airport already operates beyond what health experts recommend. Surveys link over-flight clatter to higher rates of hypertension and learning difficulties among schoolchildren. Environmental group ZERO notes the city’s last noise-action plan expired with many of its targets unmet, including a still-unfinished €10 M soundproofing scheme. ANA has deployed real-time monitors and the WebTrak portal, but activists say measurements without enforced caps amount to little more than PR.

The Road to a New Airport in Alcochete

Successive governments have alternated between Montijo and Alcochete as the definitive solution to the capital’s aviation bottleneck. The current administration has revived Alcochete, rebranding it Luís de Camões Airport and promising parliamentary approval in 2026. Until concrete is poured across the Tagus, Humberto Delgado must shoulder Portugal’s booming inbound tourism. That reality explains why even sceptical ministers signed off on the Terminal 2 upgrade despite legal headwinds.

What Comes Next for Passengers, Airlines and Residents

If deadlines hold, low-cost carriers will shift into the upgraded hall just in time for the 2025-26 winter season, freeing stands and jet bridges for full-service airlines in Terminal 1. Airfares may edge down on popular routes as slot scarcity eases, though local councils fear the gains will be offset by more night-time departures. ANA promises quarterly noise reports and ‘green landing’ incentives for quieter aircraft, while community associations prepare fresh court actions. In other words, Lisbon’s aviation saga is far from over—but for now, travelers can at least look forward to shorter queues and a roof that finally keeps the rain out.