Lisbon Portela Airport, is located 7 km (4.3 mi) north of Castle of São Jorge in the city of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. In Portuguese, it is called Aeroporto de Lisboa, Aeroporto da Portela, or Aeroporto da Portela de Sacavém. It takes its name from the neighbouring parish (freguesia) of Portela, also known as Portela de Sacavém. There are current negotiations with Ryanair to install a hub at Lisbon airport in the Summer of 2011.
The airport is the main international gateway to Portugal and a major European hub. It is one of the largest airports in Southern Europe. The airport has two main runways, capable of accommodating large-size aircraft such as the Boeing 747. During World War II, as the neutral airport was open to both German and British airlines, it was a hub for smuggling people into, out of and all around Europe, as widely referenced in the classic Casablanca movie, whose plot revolved around an escape attempt to Lisbon airport. As such, it was heavily monitored by both Axis and Allied spies. In 2009, the airport handled 13,277,959 passengers and 83,367 tonnes of cargo.The airport is the main base hub of TAP Portugal. The airport is run by State-owned company ANA Aeroportos de Portugal. It's a hub for TAP Portugal, Easyjet , SATA International, Portugália and White Airways.
The airport was opened on 15 October 1942, with four 1,000 m (3,300 ft) runways. It quickly expanded, with extended runways and a new terminal. It also expanded its parking facilities to allow more aircraft movements (110,437 in 2002). It has sixteen jetways.
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