Faro Airport

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.

Not Verified | The toilets on arrivals in Faro airport are absolutely vile. I was gagging and nearly got sick with the smell. Disgusting first impression of such a sought after holiday destination.

✅ Trip Verified | As a mature but responsible sixty eight year old woman and solo traveler, returning to the uk following a holiday to Alberfuria I was subjected to what I felt was an unnecessary security check at Faro airport, I had undergone a total left hip replacement in November and declared this before I went through the security “arch” I was subjected to a consented search by a young lady, who did the usual check then felt around my skirt waistband (which I felt degrading) then asked me to remove my shoes and requested me to raise each foot behind me, she then checked the soles of my feet, having had the surgery only three calendar months prior this could have proved detrimental to my new joint. The lady then looked over my shoes before moving me on. My point is I declared the hip replacement before the “arch” alarm but this did not seem to make the slightest difference in the way that I was assessed. There was not any consideration or questioning on when I had undergone this major surgery, I appreciate that this young lady had requested consent for the intervention but wonder what would have happened if I, a lady of senior years had refused the security check.