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Portugal's Lisbon Airport to be renamed in memory of General Humberto Delgado

Xinhua, February 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Portuguese government announced on Thursday that the Lisbon Airport, or Lisbon Portela Airport, will be renamed on May 15 after Humberto Delgado in memory of the late Portuguese air force general and famous politician.

At a press conference after the meeting of Council of Ministers, Minister of Planning and Infrastructure Pedro Marques said that the government made the decision two days before the date on which Humberto Delgado was murdered 51 years ago at a border town in Portugal when he was trying to return home clandestinely from exile in Spain.

"He was an opposition figure to the dictatorship regime ... and had a very important role in the field of civil aviation," he said, stressing that it was Humberto Delgado, who presided over the foundation of Portugal's flagship airline TAP and "so it is very fair this assignment name to the airport."

This year marks the 110 anniversary of the birth of Humberto Delgado who was also known as "General without Fear" due to his staunch opposition to Salazar's rule. He ran for Portuguese president in 1958. Endit