"I don't accept that TAP has Lisbon based operations again if it is granted public support"

The declaration by Rui Moreira during his interview to RTP was followed by the statements of the Minister of Infrastructure in Parliament, who said that "if the State supports TAP, it has to uphold national interest". 

Pedro Nuno Santos was clear at the Assembly of the Republic when he affirmed that - as it looks likely - if the State finances TAP, the State will have to have a say in order to uphold the national interest.

These declarations by the Minister are in hand with those by the Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira to RTP when he stated that he will not accept that a company that is State funded should concentrate its operation in one airport in the country.

"This model of intervention has to be well matured and has to be in accordance with the interest of the sovereign State rather than the shareholder's interest", Pedro Nuno Santos affirmed in the Parliament, furthering that "it shall not be the state shareholder but the sovereign state to discuss with private shareholders the terms of an intervention that has to be the best possible in the interest of the Portuguese public and the national interest".

Mayor Rui Moreira also stated, during the interview to RTP, that the fact that TAP focus operation in the Lisbon airport is unacceptable as "the Northern Region has many export companies and they need to travel to continue doing business".

"TAP is living and it will continue living on state funds", Mayor Rui Moreira warned, and further stated that "of course, if TAP does not want this support from the State, then it can do as it pleases; in that situation I cannot say much, and we'll have to look for other airliners, but I do not accept that TAP simply concentrates its operation in Lisbon and do not meet the needs of public service", the Mayor concluded.