Communists in Portugal call for investment at Beja Airport

The Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) will propose the creation of a logistics hub at Beja Airport to facilitate the “distribution of regional products” during the detailed parliamentary debate on the 2027 State Budget (OE2027).

By TPN/Lusa, in News · 03 Nov 2026, 12:33 · 0 Comments

In a statement, the PCP's Beja Regional Organisation (DORBE) argued that “it is necessary to view the airport as an instrument that can boost tourism and support an integrated strategy for aviation, cargo, aircraft parking, maintenance and passenger transport”.

At the same time, it added, “an industrial sector” should be developed and “a logistics platform created to facilitate the distribution of regional products”.

“This is why the PCP will submit a proposal in the 2027 State Budget for the creation of a logistics platform and will continue to work towards the development and use of [Beja] Airport in the service of the region and the country,” it announced.

State Budget proposal

The Government's proposed 2027 State Budget was approved in its initial parliamentary vote on 28 October, with votes in favour from PSD and CDS-PP and abstentions from PS, PAN and JPP.

Chega, IL, Livre, PCP and BE voted against the PSD/CDS-PP Government's proposal.

Following its initial approval, the document moves to the detailed parliamentary review, with hearings involving ministers and other entities taking place until Friday, which also marks the deadline for parties to submit amendments.

After the hearings, the detailed voting process begins, running from 18 November until the final overall vote on 24 November.

Responsibility for the airport

In the statement released on Tuesday, the PCP also said that PS and PSD “bear considerable responsibility for the fact that Beja Airport and its existing infrastructure have not been properly utilised or put at the service of the region and the country, making full use of their potential”.

For DORBE, “the reality surrounding Beja Airport confirms that privatisation and the handing over of this sector to foreign multinationals sooner or later prove contrary to national interests and the national economy”.

The PCP also argued that the possible establishment of a Lufthansa pilot training school in Tancos, in the Santarém district, as part of TAP's partial privatisation process, should not “fuel sterile regional rivalries”.

“What is required, first and foremost, is a comprehensive clarification of the details of this announced project, including whether it is civilian or military in nature, its intended users and the entities involved, both Portuguese and foreign, among other elements,” it argued.

Only such clarification, the PCP stressed, “could shed light on the alleged incompatibilities involving Beja Airport”, which, for the time being, “lack substantiated evidence”.

The Communist Party's position comes after the Government announced on 14 October that Lufthansa's proposal to acquire 44.9% of TAP included a €500 million investment in a new pilot training school in Tancos.

The decision was criticised by the Intermunicipal Community of Baixo Alentejo (CIMBAL) and Chega MP elected in Beja, António Carneiro.

Meanwhile, PSD MP elected in Beja, Gonçalo Valente, stated that the Portuguese Air Force's permanent use of the airspace over Beja was not “compatible” with Lufthansa's project.

The issue also prompted former Beja mayor and Socialist Paulo Arsénio to reveal that a delegation from the German company had visited the city in July 2025, informing local authorities of its intention to establish a pilot training school in Portugal.