Slot Shortfall Shuts Business Jets Out of Lisbon Airport

Business aircraft operators are facing severe difficulties accessing Lisbon Airport (LPPT) in Portugal this week due to capacity shortages associated with the Web Summit event being held in the city from November 10 to 13. On Friday, show organizers warned those intending to arrive by nonscheduled flights to consider alternative airports, even though some of these entail long drives to and from the venue, or using airline services.

“Please be advised that there is currently a shortage of private jet slots at Lisbon Airport and surrounding smaller airports,” Web Summit said in a statement. “Lisbon Airport is experiencing difficulty managing the volume of traffic, resulting in a lack of available takeoff and landing slots for all operations.”

Web Summit now attracts more than 1,000 companies and also government delegations from more than 75 countries. Lisbon is due to get a new airport in 2034, and the current airport has dealt with capacity issues for some time, including severe delays caused by immigration processes.

The ExecuJet Aviation FBO in Lisbon is advising clients to consider alternative airports for nonscheduled flights, with the best option being  Cascais (LPCS), since it is quite close to the Web Summit venue. Other options include Beja (LPBJ), Porto (LPPR), and Faro (LPFR).

According to Marisa Andrade, slot restrictions at Lisbon have been a problem for a long time and are not specific to the Web Summit event. She told AIN that the airport operator has been limiting operators to 45 minutes on the ground since Covid.

"Lisbon Airport doesn’t have enough slots for commercial aviation and business aviation due to airport constraints in terms of parking and runways," she commented. In her view, the airport operator—Vinci Airports—has little interest in supporting business aviation.

Andy Jurd, senior v-p of private jets at Wheels Up's charter broker division Air Partner, echoed the broader concerns about capacity issues around the Portuguese capital. "Lisbon Airport is a challenging destination for private aviation due to limited slot availability, a complex allocation process, and restricted parking capacity," he told AIN. "Major events that drive higher traffic, such as the Web Summit, can add further pressure. When access becomes difficult, we often use Cascais Airport as an efficient alternative."

Universal Aviation's Safeport Lisbon ground handling team also recommended Cascais and Beja as alternatives. "Current operations at Lisbon Airport remain unchanged during Web Summit week, with standard 45-minute rotation requirements and limited slot availability," the company commented. "While some daytime slots are available, all scheduling remains subject to approval by the Slots Coordination Office."