Lufthansa pilot school deemed unsuitable for Beja due to military airspace use

PSD MP Gonçalo Valente said the new Lufthansa pilot school cannot be located at Beja because the permanent use of Beja airspace by the Portuguese Air Force is incompatible with high‑intensity pilot training, and the investment for the school was announced at 500 million euros.

He noted that Tancos aerodrome is exclusively military and would need requalification for civil use, whereas Beja aerodrome already combines military and civil operations, is fully structured and operational, and would not require investment; locating the school at Beja would imply closing the Portuguese Air Force base, the largest in the country that hosts main squadrons and simulators.