As from today, Faro Airport is bigger, with more public areas, more operational areas and a renewed retail area, has a greater capacity for processing aircraft and passengers and benefits from new accessibilities. With an investment of 32.8 million euros, the expansion and remodeling works are complete and are the answer in allowing the airport to continue to grow in a sustained way, as it has been verified in recent years.

With this expansion, Faro Airport increases the terminal's ability to embarking and disembark from 2400 to 3000 people per hour. The terminal was enlarged from 81,200 m² to 93,120 m² - with an increase in operating areas and in the public area -, while the retail area and food court were also expanded and revitalized (still in finishing phase). The works carried out also include the adaptation of the capacity of the passenger terminal to a new system of lanes that allows 30 movements per hour, instead of 24, and the parking of 30 to 37 aircraft.

Inaugurated in 1965, Faro Airport is the main tourist airport in Portugal and plays a decisive role in the economic development of the country by serving the main tourist centers of southern Portugal and Spain. It was, in 2016, the national airport that registered the highest growth - 18.5%, with more than 7 million passengers.

This modernization aims to adapt the infrastructure to a new paradigm of air transportation in Portugal and throughout the Europe – the increasing of low-cost airlines. Faro airport registered an increase of low cost passengers and, at the same time, a decrease of passengers of other types of flights.  This reality results in a new passenger profile, with new needs and that stays more time in the terminal.

Also, the changes that have occurred in the security at the airports required a response from Faro Airport - the construction of new control areas, maintaining high safety standards and an adequate level of quality of service.

The modernization now completed is a conclusion of a process, which began with the adjustments of the Air Side of the airport - runways and driveways and parking platform - to the type of movement of the low cost airlines (with smaller and more frequent aircraft) and Land Side adjustments with car park and curbside remodeling.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister, António Costa, the Minister of Planning and Infrastructures, Pedro Marques, the CEO of VINCI Concessions and President of VINCI Airports, Nicolas Notebaert and the President of the Executive Committee of ANA - Aeroportos de Portugal, Carlos Lacerda.

 

Terminal Expansion Areas (11 920 m²)

Airside – 826 m²

- Eastwards expansion of the Baggage Claim Area and Arrival Baggage Terminal.

- Expansion of Passport Control areas for arrivals and departures.

- Expansion of retail commercial areas and food court (Floors 1 and 2).

Landside – 11 094 m²

- Expansion of the public arrival and departure areas covering the north front of the building (6324 m²).

- The expansion of these commercial areas will create new commercial spaces for shops and services predominantly located in the public area.

- Construction of a Security Control Area on the 2nd floor and concrete cover (slab) over Check-in 2 (4770 m²).

 

Increased capacity

With this expansion and remodeling, Faro Airport registers an increased capacity in the number of aircraft movements per hour, in passenger processing capacity and in the number of aircraft stands, as it can be seen in the table below:

 

 

Past

Present

Runway

24 atm/h

30 atm/h

Parking stands

30/37 stands

30/37 stands

Pax flow

2400 pax/h

3000 pax/h