About The Airport
FAO, your opportunity destination in 5 key points:
1. Strategic location
Faro Airport is located just 4 km from Faro, the capital of the Algarve, on the southern coast of Portugal. The airport serves not only the Algarve region but also part of southwestern Spain, particularly Andalucía, including the provinces of Huelva and Seville. Its catchment area comprises approximately 1 million inhabitants.
The Algarve is Portugal’s second-largest tourism region after Lisbon, accounting for 29% of all international overnight stays in 2025. Recognised as one of Europe’s leading holiday destinations, the region offers a diverse landscape, extensive golden sandy beaches, vibrant nightlife, and award-winning golf courses that attract golfers from around the world.
2. A growing market
In 2025, the year in which it marked 60 years of operation, Faro Airport achieved its best performance ever, surpassing 10 million passengers for the first time. In total, the airport handled 10,394,910 passengers (+5.8%) and 67,604 aircraft movements (+6.3%), representing an increase of more than 500,000 passengers compared to 2024.
2025 also stood out for strengthened connectivity, the expansion of route offerings, and a significant reduction in seasonality, including the arrival of United Airlines with a direct connection to New York City, which will resume this May with four weekly frequencies. The connection to Toronto was also reinforced by Air Transat, which will serve the Algarve with three weekly frequencies this summer.
This summer, connections to major hubs remain strong: London (150 weekly frequencies), Dublin (52), Paris (30), Lisbon (21), Amsterdam (19) and Frankfurt (12), ensuring efficient access to both European and intercontinental markets.
3. A booming leisure destination
The Algarve stands as one of Portugal's foremost tourist destinations, celebrated for its breathtaking coastline, balmy weather, and rich cultural heritage. Between 2019 and 2025, the number of international guests grew 7.6%, and the North American market was the one that grew fastest, more than 95% even without a direct service to the United States, which started last year in the summer.
4. Growing foreign communities settling in FAO´s catchment area
The Algarve has become a haven for individuals seeking employment opportunities or a serene retirement lifestyle. With over 167,000 foreign residents as of 2024, representing 34% of the region's population, it has emerged as a melting pot of cultures and nationalities.
In addition to their VFR potential, these foreign communities represent a major source of consumers, boosting the outbound demand from the Algarve
5. Attracting Investment and quality product
In recent years, the Algarve has increasingly positioned itself as a high-end destination, with significant investment in premium tourism infrastructure. Since 2014, the number of rooms in 5-star hotels has grown by around 60%, driven by the expansion of major international hospitality brands such as Hilton, Hyatt, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International and Highgate. Today, the Algarve has almost the same number of rooms in 5-star hotels as Lisbon, highlighting both the scale and quality of investment in the region’s hospitality sector. The region now offers an extensive portfolio of luxury resorts, spas and wellness facilities, sports training centres, and modern conference and event venues.
At the same time, the Algarve remains an accessible destination catering to every travel profile and budget, with a wide range of accommodation options and highly competitive prices, particularly outside the peak summer season.
FAO, did you know?
- The Algarve has increasingly established itself as a year-round destination. Over the past decade, passenger traffic during the winter season has more than doubled, contributing to a significant reduction in the seasonality of Faro Airport. This positive evolution reflects the joint efforts of tourism stakeholders in diversifying and strengthening the Algarve’s tourism offering beyond the traditional summer months. As a result, the gap between peak and low season traffic has narrowed considerably: whereas ten years ago the busiest month recorded traffic levels seven times higher than the weakest month, today this difference has decreased to approximately four times.
- The Algarve will also host several major international events in the coming years, further reinforcing the region’s global visibility and attractiveness. Among the highlights is the PGA Tour, scheduled to take place in July this year and confirmed for the following four years. In addition, the new equestrian centre in Vilamoura will host 11 weeks of international equestrian competitions. The region is also expected to welcome Formula 1 events in 2027 and 2028, although the official dates have not yet been announced.
- With its mild year-round climate and extensive coastline, the Algarve offers exceptional conditions for outdoor and active tourism, positioning itself as one of Europe’s leading destinations for sports and nature-based experiences. The region provides a diverse range of activities, including golf, cycling, hiking, surfing, nautical sports, and birdwatching, catering to a broad spectrum of visitor profiles and interests.
- The Algarve is also home to the Ria Formosa Natural Park, a protected area extending over 60 kilometres of lagoons, islands, and unique natural landscapes, and recognised as one of Portugal’s most important ecosystems. The park is home to more than 250 bird species and plays a central role in the region’s nature tourism offering. Each year, the Algarve hosts the Festival de Observação de Aves & Atividades de Natureza during the first week of October, attracting birdwatching and nature enthusiasts from across Europe.
- Active tourism continues to gain importance within the region’s tourism strategy, supported by an extensive network of walking, hiking, and cycling routes covering more than 1,000 kilometres. Among the most renowned itineraries are the Via Algarviana and the Rota Vicentina, both offering authentic and immersive ways to explore the Algarve’s landscapes, coastline, and cultural heritage.
- As the last region to be incorporated into the Kingdom of Portugal, the Algarve possesses a rich historical and cultural heritage shaped by centuries of diverse influences and traditions. Today, the region offers visitors a wide range of historic towns and cultural landmarks that can be explored with ease thanks to the Algarve’s compact geography and excellent accessibility.
Distances within the region are relatively short, allowing visitors to travel conveniently between destinations. Driving from the eastern Algarve, near Vila Real de Santo António, to the western end of the region, near Sagres, takes approximately two hours.
- In 2022, its name was changed to Gago Coutinho, in honor of the navigator who completed the first aerial crossing of the South Atlantic Ocean from March to June 1922.
- A Hard Rock hotel is to be opened in the Algarve this summer. It will be the first one in Portugal.
- According to our passenger survey, 89% of the inbound passengers travelling to FAO were staying in the Algarve region. This shows real interest in the Algarve product.
For more information, visit:
https://www.faroairport.pt/en/fao/home
https://visitalgarve.pt/en/