Faro Airport

✅ Trip Verified | We came in on Saturday 28 September at 20.45. I estimate that the queue for passport control was about 1000 people, with many empty desks. Due to my wife's disabilities we were enabled to jump the queue. The situation was the same on departure on 5 October for the 20.10 to Gatwick. There were many unused unstaffed passport control desks.

✅ Trip Verified | Faro must be one of the worst airports in Europe. After arriving on an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin on September 8 2019, we got placed into an overfilled bus. At arrivals, there were hundreds of passengers trying to get through passport control. Only 3 officers were working and the crowd was wild and threatening. Awful experience.

✅ Trip Verified | Upon arriving at Faro (08/09/19), everything seemed great, disembarking the plane was painless. As soon as we walked through to passport control though it was an absolute joke, I wouldn't say I'm a frequent flyer but have been to a fair few airports over the last couple of years including Zakynthos, Barcelona and Izmir and not one of them was anywhere as badly organised as Faro. We got to the bottom of the escalators for passport control and queued for nearly two hours, subsequently missing our transfer and TUI having to arrange alternative transport for us. There was, I believe 4 passport desks open, none of the electronic ones were in operation either. When we finally reached the queue barriers, the escalator was out of operation and the line of people was up the stairs, god knows how far back. For our return (15/09/19) our transfer arrived at 8.15 am, 2 hours before the flight was due to leave. Check in was the usual fair - this was well organised just very busy. Security, however was another absolute joke. In total it took about 1.5 hours to get through both. Then came passport control once again! Both of us desperate for the toilet, coming out of the loo we were greeted by another immense queue. There were hardly any staff to get hold of, I had to leave my partner, run round to find someone because as we were waiting the last call for our flight was announced. The staff member was golden though. He took us to the front of the line with some other folk in our situation and we literally had to run through duty free and the shopping area took get on our flight, we boarded at 10am. If we had waited in line we would have missed our flight. it was the single most stressful moment of any holiday I have ever been on and when we finally boarded my partner broke down in tears because she thought we would be stranded there. The good points. Airport was clean. Toilets were clean, staff were friendly, didn't get chance to experience anything else. We will never ever holiday to the Algarve, we will certainly never use Faro for Andalucía again either. (The only flight to Seville was a London airport, over 100 miles from home and Faro was closer to our destination anyway). Apart from the ridiculous waiting times the airport was well signed with good services, the departure lounge looked clean and modern with a few bars and eateries and there are toilets aplenty. I cannot stress how useless this airport is based on our two experiences here. I would like to give one star but that would be unfair on the staff there but they still only managed an extra one.

✅ Trip Verified | A truly awful airport, possibly one of the worst in Europe. Upon arrival from the UK in to Portugal the electronic passport gates were not in action and only 4 passport desks were open. With so many flights arriving from around the same time, passport control took over an hour to navigate. Until the last section it was a general free for all with people pushing and shoving towards the front. The airport staff were there but did nothing to help just seemed to be chatting on their radios to each other. As we neared the front we could see those behind us would be even longer as the queue no stretched outside of the passport hall and up the staircase and in to the terminal. On the return, check in took over 40 minutes, security 45 minutes and passport control nearly 30 minutes. Anyone arriving with only 2 hours to go before their flight is really chancing their arm. Suggest you arrive and join the check in queue with an expectation to leave that with 2 hours to go.

Not Verified | After the refurbishment I was hoping for a massive improvement but unfortunately not. Passport control area as chaotic as ever, nobody to oversea it so everyone jumping the queue. The lovely new car rental desks inside closed as usual. So you have to trek outside in 35 degrees down a steep slope with heavy cases on a trolley with no brakes. So after to pick your cases up for the second time you start the assent up the other side, only to be greeted by enormous queues outside and around the car hire buildings which are woefully undermanned. It’s then you realised despite the huge paved area around the offices there are only two concrete benches to accommodate two hundred people. Excellent! The new roof looks lovely a lot of thought obviously went into that unfortunately no thought whatsoever has been put into the customers experience.

Not Verified | We were travelling back to Gatwick and went though multiple boarding and passport checks which were non stop and more and more holding areas even when we passed the gate for our plane yet there were two more holding areas! We were all like what? Why? Even the security guards asked to scan our boarding passes, we must of had to get them checked 20 odd times. And why keep checking passports non stop, its too much really and its only a small airport. Also when we arrived you have to go up lots of old metal stairs so not a good first impression. Prices in so called duty free as too expensive as the Burger King is an over priced shambles like an 1980s version on McDonalds.

✅ Trip Verified | I travel quite often around the world and I have been to many airports around the world. It is shocking to read these “nightmare, chaotic” reviews. I have used Faro airport more than 50 times in the past 3 years. You might have about 15/20 min wait immigration when landing, but that is like anywhere else around the world. You might have to queue for 10/15 min for security but that is like any other airport. I actually find it quite fast comparing to LHR, DUB, LGW, AMS, etc. The security staff are there to make sure you travel in safety just like in any other airport. So don’t be annoyed if they aren’t there to “kiss your feet”. Faro airport is a small airport that has peaks in the summer but it is an efficient airport where the staff are actually really nice if you behave like a good passenger.

Not Verified | My flight back home was today, August 4th 2019. In a nutshell, this airport should not be allowed to operate in the way it does today. Queues are massive for check-in, security checks and passport control. Staff are the rudest I have ever dealt with in my 40 years of air travelling, and could not care less if you missed your flight or not. It is a shameful way to say goodbye to tourists who fly to Portugal to spend their hard earned cash and sustain the tourism industry there. Needless to say I will most definitely not be setting foot there ever again. Plenty of other countries that care about their guests. Your loss, Portugal.

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!