VINCI Airports prepared for reopening of Portugal’s tourism

June 8, 2020

VINCI Airports, concession holder of Portugal’s 10 airports, celebrated the reopening of the country’s tourism and airport business today at an event held at Lisbon airport in the presence of António Costa, Prime Minister of Portugal, Pedro Siza Vieira, Minister of Economy, Pedro Nuno Santos, Minister of Infrastructure, and Nicolas Notebaert, Chief Executive Officer of VINCI Concessions and Chairman of VINCI Airports.

With lockdown ended on 4 May thanks to a safe, stable public health situation, there is growing demand on airlines rapidly as the summer season nears. Air travel is set to increase starting June 15 with air connexions resuming in Europe, notably with France: flights between Lisbon, Porto and Faro and Lyon-Saint Exupéry and Nantes Atlantique airports, all members of the VINCI Airports network, will resume on 15 June. Flights into and out of Paris, which continued throughout lockdown, will also expand.

Public health safety, friendliness and innovations for the return of passengers

VINCI Airports has rolled out new health measures in compliance with national and European regulations. These measures focus mainly on passenger flow management and social distancing, providing individual personal protection equipment and cleaning/disinfecting passenger areas. These measures, which complement airline companies’ new safety protocols, effectively ensure the safety of passengers throughout their journey. An extensive information campaign has also been launched in all airports operated by VINCI Airports in Portugal and the rest of the world to facilitate passenger handling and explain the new measures.

In addition, Lisbon airport, a VINCI Airports Centre for Innovation Excellence, has developed new public health solutions over recent weeks. An autonomous robot that uses UV rays to disinfect surfaces has been deployed in the airport.

Lastly, the works at Lisbon Airport’s rapid exit taxiways and Terminal 2 have been stepped up in recent weeks, to the benefit of airlines and passenger comfort.

“The partnership between Portugal and VINCI Airports is both solid and resilient. The Portuguese airport network already demonstrated in 2012 its fantastic capacity to bounce back. We are happy today to participate in the resumption of air travel and we are going to accelerate the growth dynamic in the future by continuing to invest in the country’s airports.”

Nicolas Notebaert, Chief Executive Officer of VINCI Concessions and Chairman of VINCI Airports