In a statement, ZERO stressed that the end of flights between 1am and 5am has been "pending for three years" and that in three days the time slots to be allocated to airlines next summer will be determined.

The environmental advocacy group refers to the publication of the final ‘Slot Allocation List’, a document that defines, “in a binding manner”, all takeoff and landing authorizations at national airports between the end of March and the end of October 2026.

“Based on a methodology from the World Health Organization, ZERO estimates that the accumulated costs related to noise from Humberto Delgado Airport on the health of citizens of Lisbon, Loures and Almada (annoyance, morbidity) and in economic terms (loss of productivity, undervaluation of real estate) since 2015 amount to almost 12 billion euros today,” reads a statement from the association.

The association cited a study commissioned by the Ministry of Infrastructure, following the establishment of a parliamentary working group on night flights at Humberto Delgado Airport: “It concluded in 2022 that, considering the impact on approximately 388,000 people of nighttime noise levels exceeding the maximum limit stipulated for residential areas in the General Noise Regulation, all flights between 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM should be banned.”

The measure, it argued, is “essential both to protect the health of hundreds of thousands of people and to reduce the negative economic impact” associated with nighttime aircraft noise.

ZERO has appealed to the Government to use all its powers to ensure that the flight schedule for the upcoming summer season fully respects the quiet period between 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM.

"It is equally essential that effective monitoring and penalty mechanisms be implemented for any nighttime movements outside of this interval, ensuring full transparency of data and accountability of the entities involved," he suggested.