The Government has approved an exceptional and temporary regime for Humberto Delgado Airport, in Lisbon, to limit the implementation of the Point Merge System (PMS) flight sequencing system and, therefore, avoid constraints at the country's main airport during this summer, according to a report by ECO.

Initially, the implementation of the PMS was expected to take place by the third quarter of this year, as established by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of December 28 last year. However, the Government decided to bring forward this implementation so as not to extend beyond mid-May.

This anticipation has the main objective of “avoiding disruptions during periods of increased traffic, associated with the peak of the so-called IATA summer period”, says the Decree-Law published in the Official Gazette.

During the week in which the system was implemented (between May 16 and 22), the airport had to reduce the number of flights by 20% to give controllers time to adapt to the new technology. This caused some delays, but was necessary to ensure everyone's safety.

To deal with these delays, the Government has allowed some exceptions to the usual rules for night flights. Normally, flights are not permitted between midnight and 6 am, but during this period, flights that were delayed for unforeseen reasons could land until 2 am. Additionally, some flights scheduled for after 6 am could be brought forward to 5:30 am.

The Government has also asked airlines to use more modern, quieter planes wherever possible. When safety conditions permitted, planes should use designated runways for landing and takeoff to minimize the impact of noise on nearby residential areas.

These measures were temporary, but the implementation of the new PMS system promises to bring lasting benefits after air traffic controllers have completely adapted to the system. It is expected that, in the future, Humberto Delgado Airport will be able to operate more efficiently, with fewer delays and less environmental impact thanks to this system. This is particularly important considering the constant growth of air traffic in Lisbon in recent years.

PMS is an advanced air traffic sequencing technique that promises to revolutionise the management of airport arrival operations. Among the expected advantages are more efficient air traffic management, reduced need for aircraft vectoring, continuous descent operations that contribute to reducing noise and fuel consumption, and better use of the airport's runway capacity.