JPP went to the airport to ask about Eduardo Jesus and the Contingency Plan

Élvio Sousa, secretary general of the JPP, was at Madeira Airport this Thursday to ask “where the regional secretary for Economy, Tourism and Culture was in the face of the chaos experienced at Madeira Airport for a week, with thousands of passengers affected due to dozens of cancelled arrivals and departures”.

The deputy recalled what he calls the “infamous” Contingency Plan for the Region, which is included in the PDES – Economic and Social Development Plan for the Region – 2030, but which remains “lost in the catacombs of Quinta Vigia or the Secretariat of Economy”, as described by the JPP leader, quoted in a party press release.

“The situation at Madeira Airport is truly third-world, especially for a destination that has won several awards annually, such as Madeira”, described Élvio Sousa, asking:

It is worth remembering that the Regional Legislative Decree that forms part of the Contingency Plan, approved four years ago, “defines, as an alternative to the temporary closure of Madeira airport, a fast ferry connection, no longer than one hour, between Porto Santo and Madeira, disembarking in Caniçal, but, apparently, and once again, all this did not go beyond paper”.

With the Plan approved four years ago, the leader questions “why the Government has not yet moved forward with negotiations to implement this vital proposal”, with a relevant impact on the most important sector of the Region’s economy.

Élvio Sousa says he fears that “the delay of this decision will soon have highly negative consequences for regional tourism and could put thousands of jobs at risk”, and therefore urges Miguel Albuquerque to “use the fact that the Government of the Republic is of the same political persuasion to resolve this and other serious problems of its governance”.

On the other hand, it is recalled that the 2021 Budget included a proposal and an article from the JPP that urged the Regional Government of Madeira to continue negotiations with the European Union, the Government of the Republic and Vinci, with a view to implementing an effective Contingency Plan for Madeira International Airport.

“So far, as we can see, without any practical sense”, accuses Élvio Sousa, to criticize the joking way in which Miguel Albuquerque referred, in May 2023, to a situation similar to the one that has now occurred, also with dozens of flights cancelled, having stated: “The Contingency Plan is to see if the wind slows down so that the planes can land”.