The number of passengers at Portuguese airports grew by 4.3% up to November, according to data released by the National Statistics Institute (INE).
INE’s rapid air transport statistics reveal that Lisbon airport processed 49.4% of the total passenger traffic, equivalent to 32.5 million passengers, marking a 4.3% year-on-year increase. Porto airport followed with 22.5% of the traffic, handling 14.8 million passengers—a 4.9% rise compared to the same period in 2023. Faro airport recorded 9.5 million passengers, reflecting a modest increase of 1.9% compared to last year.
Regarding international flights, the United Kingdom ranked as the top country of origin and destination for passengers between January and November. The number of passengers arriving from and departing to the UK rose by 1.5% and 1.4%, respectively, over the first 11 months of 2023.
On the other hand, France, which holds second place, experienced a decline of 3.3% in arriving passengers and 3.9% in departing passengers. Spain, Germany, and Italy followed in the rankings.
Portuguese airports witnessed record-high monthly passenger numbers throughout 2024. In November, daily disembarkations averaged 75,800 passengers—7.1% higher than November 2023, when the daily average stood at 70,800.
In terms of cargo and mail, the first 11 months of 2024 recorded a significant increase of 14.7%, in contrast to a 0.9% decline during the same period last year.
Focusing on November alone, 16,700 commercial flights landed at Portuguese airports, carrying 4.7 million passengers—year-on-year increases of 0.4% and 6.2%, respectively. Additionally, 22,700 tons of cargo and mail were handled during the month, reflecting a 10.6% increase. Photo by Aubry Françon, Wikimedia commons.
