A Lisbon resident has created an online platform that tracks aircraft flying over the Portuguese capital in real time, recording information ranging from altitude and speed to noise levels and vibrations.
António Boaventura developed Lisbon Finals after becoming increasingly interested in the growing number of planes passing over his terrace. Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport is located close to residential areas, meaning aircraft regularly fly over densely populated parts of the city.
Boaventura said he had become accustomed to the sound. His grandparents owned a house in Alvalade, where he watched aircraft overhead from childhood.
His curiosity eventually led him to develop a monitoring station that can identify and measure aircraft movements. The system uses artificial intelligence to collect information such as flight speed, altitude, noise and vibrations before sending the data to an online platform.
The information is available free of charge to residents, aviation enthusiasts and organisations. Users can see flight numbers, airlines and other details, while photographs are also shared through the platform and its associated social media account.
Boaventura said the system operates automatically and is designed to remain neutral rather than campaign for or against aviation activity.
The initial equipment cost about €1,000, and he spent around six weeks building the physical monitoring station. Developing the online platform took additional time, and he continues to adjust the system as more information becomes available.
The monitoring station recorded its first measurement on May 3 and has since logged more than 39,000 flights.
One area attracting particular attention is aircraft activity at night. Boaventura said he was surprised after moving to Lisbon to discover how many planes continued flying during nighttime hours.
At Humberto Delgado Airport, aircraft movements are restricted between midnight and 6am. Current rules allow 91 weekly night movements, with no more than 26 movements during a single night period, alongside requirements linked to aircraft noise.
Lisbon Finals tracks potential breaches of those restrictions. According to data published by the platform, 1,477 night flights were recorded during July between 11pm and 6:59am. The platform classified 397 as violations of the period regulated by Portugal’s National Civil Aviation Authority, while at least 207 were identified as critical violations based on its noise criteria.
Environmental group ZERO has also raised concerns about aircraft noise in the Lisbon metropolitan area.
The organisation has criticised the airport’s 2024-2029 Noise Action Plan, arguing that the proposed measures are insufficient to protect residents. ZERO says 63,879 people living near the airport are exposed every night to noise levels above 55 decibels.
The group is calling for stronger measures and supports efforts to accelerate the closure of Humberto Delgado Airport.
The airport is expected to cease operations once the planned Luís de Camões Airport at Alcochete becomes operational. The new facility is currently expected to open in 2037, after which air operations at Humberto Delgado would end.
