Faro Airport

Not Verified | Arrived to chaos, litterally 100s of people queuing to get through passport control, air con either useless or off, only 3 desks open. None of the automated desks working. Took 3/4 hour to get through passport control then info for luggage belt had been removed so everyone wondering about trying to find their luggage. Left on a sweltering bus with no aircon on departure. Toilets an absolute filthy disgrace for an international airport. Whoever manages this dump should be sacked.

Not Verified | Arrived in Faro from Aberdeen the last week of May only to arrive into absolute chaos at customs security. There were literally flights queuing to go through the passport control and although there are I think 6 passport control points for exit only 2 were manned. It took literally 3/4 of an hour and more just to get through control. I have travelled through work and play for over 30 years and this was probably one of the worst arrivals, passport controls that I have ever been through. There is no excuse for the delays as this is purely a staffing issue. Nightmare for children, the old and infirm. Fix it Faro!

Not Verified | Very chaotic airport with very long queues for the immigration/border control. The automatic e gate for biometric passports were not working properly on both ways in and exiting the airport. The immigration/border control staff were very rude and arrogant. The bathrooms were also very dirty for an airport. Very disappointing experience.

✅ Trip Verified | We have had previous bad experiences when using Faro airport, particularly whilst undergoing improvements. This time our experience was very good, in all respects, now that the upgrades and changes have been completed. We had a very smooth, arrival and departure experience, utilising the airports special assistance team, which performed admirably in all respects. Making the whole, what can be stressful event, as pleasant as can be possible.

❎ Not Verified | Faro is the worst airport I've ever flown to. I would never fly there except I have family living in the area. The staff are ultra rude and it seems like they all have a chip on their shoulder. Tip: Come to London to any of the airports and learn about customer service. Toilets are vile and smelly. Last time I flew, there were no escalators working, all had to haul suitcases up the stairs. Some people were elderly and struggling. I dread having to fly there.

Not Verified | I will never travel to Portugal again through this airport. The staff are so rude. Especially at the scanning area. My coat, bag were dumped into someone else’s box before being scanned. She then yelled at me to hurry up, hurry up, slinging the box into my hands and I’m disabled. When I told her she laughed. Ryanair - well that’s another matter. Never will I fly with them again. Paid extra for seats on the way out and still split up. On the way back blank refusal to accommodate us with seats together in spite of being disabled and needing assistance (none given because we didn’t need a wheelchair). This airport circus needs to end.

Not Verified | The arrival area was a shambles on April 20th, no organisation at all people appearing from all directions to get through passport control, apparently a number of flights all arrived at once, but this is no excuse for not having immigration check desks open or broken automated machines, really poor for young families and the elderly who were being pushed and crashed into as everyone pushed to get to the front. Departure on the other hand seems to have been sorted and was a pleasure to go through without issue.

Not Verified | Absolute disgrace. Called to the gate numerous times then stood for 40 mins before even opening the gate, in a tiny cramped space. We have now managed to get through the gate only to have been stuck on a bus outside the gate for half an hour with no information and no apparent sign of moving. Absolute shambles. Not a good end to a fabulous time in Portugal.

✅ Trip Verified | Departure was, as always, a pleasure with all staff - MyWay, check-in, security and emigration, friendly and helpful. Return was totally different. The lift arrived promptly for 5 wheelchair passengers and taken to the terminal. Two people were wheeled though by MyWay staff, and the remaing 3 including a 90 year old lady on her own told "someone will along in a moment for you." After 25 minutes of being trapped in 'no man's land' we managed to attract the attention of an employee who came to rescue us only to find that our case was not on the belt. Then to the Ryanair office where they found our case and brought it to us. In total 1.5 hours after arriving on an on-time flight. Relating this to my Birmingham airport review it would appear there was an 'anti-travel virus' in the air on April 2nd!

✅ Trip Verified | For some strange and inexplicable reason for the recent renovation and expansion it was chosen to greatly enlarge the landside space and leave the airside space as it is, resulting in a largely unused area landside and a small and inadequate departure lounge. First you are ushered upstairs into a cluttered security area where it always seems to be busy. Then there is a division between Schengen and non-Schengen passengers, whereby the Schengen passengers seem to have drawn the short straw. You have to pass through a small, expensive and uninspiring shopping area with one restaurant (the non-Schengen departure lounge is much larger and has much more choice in shops and restaurants). Then down the escalators again into the "old" departure lounge which is quite dark and dingy and does not have any facilities apart from a small coffee bar. Also seating is limited. But you probably will not have a lot of time to spend there anyway due to the time spent at the security check. If you are lucky you then need to go upstairs again to your gate, and if boarding via stairs, down again and then up via the stairs into the aircraft. In our case on this occasion we boarded via a bus that would have been written off anywhere else a long time ago. If Faro Airport management is keen to earn more money form it's departing passengers it should rethink it's current set-up and offer all passengers the same level of facilities and a faster and more efficient passenger handling.