Faro Airport

✅ Verified Review | I'm currently sitting at the cafe (Paul) not too far from the entrance to the check-in desks. I should be on my easyJet flight arriving at Southend airport in the next 20 mins. The reason why I'm not on the flight: the exceptionally bad management of this airport, and the resulting chaos of too many people. Having already checked in online we were greeted to queues stretching from every bag drop and check-in counter that I could see, the worst of it was the easyJet counters, we had 2 bags to drop off, but had to stand behind 50+ people for over 50mins, when we reached the counter and dropped our bags off, the lady behind the counter said we should get through security quickly. So we hurried to security via the escalators, only to be greeted by about 150 people waiting to get through security, we spoke to two staff there, both of whom suggested we ask every person in front of us to let us go past them, as they are security there's nothing they can do. I've yet to see anyone try asking 75 people in front of them in a queue if it's alright to pass in front of them, without a fight erupting. So finally getting to the X-ray machine and metal detector 30 minutes later I ask if I should take my shoes off, the staff member says "it's fine", I ask "are you sure" and they reply "yes it's fine". I go through the metal detector, and it goes off, the security personnel pats me down, and asks for me to take my shoes off and he puts it through the X-ray machine again. At this point I realise there's a very slim chance of getting to the boarding gate, but there's no one to speak to. So I'm rushing to get to the gate, but am greeted to a duty free shop busy with people, which I need to get through to get to the desks, there's a complete jam of people near the end of the duty free shop as some very smart person thought of putting the entrance to the border control gates right there, I had to push past people going both ways just to get into the queue for the border control, I got into the queue for electronic passports, thinking this would be quick, but no, these machines weren't allowing some people through, and they weren't all working. Finally getting to one of the gates, it reads my passport and I wait for it to scan my face, but instead of adjusting it's height for someone who is 6 ft, it adjusts for someone who is 4 ft, and so it can't read my face and I'm trapped between the barriers until it can, then magically the barrier opens up (a major security flaw in my view as a facial recognition system shouldn't accept someone's stomach as a facial ID, I will be reporting this to the relevant international/European authorities). So I finally get through, check the displays for my gate (which doesn't say the gate is closed), run to the gate and find out the flight has already left. Easyjet staff takes us around to Arrivals to pick up our bags and takes us back to departures to speak to easyjet information, they also don't have luggage storage here currently.

✅ Verified Review | What an absolute shambles! From arriving at Faro airport having to wait 2 hours to get our cases to our return trip of constant queuing and nearly missing the plane because of it. We usually go every year and have never experienced this before, never again! So stressful.

The airport is having building works done but the departure was horrendous. Too many people for the facilities. Queues everywhere for toilets, for food, for seats, people sitting and lying on the floor. The airport should reduce flights and capacity while these works are completed.

✅ Verified Review | Travelled out of Faro on a Sunday in May with Monarch. I cannot believe the chaos that meets you as a passenger. Our party arrived in good time however check in took over 30 minutes despite having priority check in. Long queues greeted every step of the process from a cursory check for passports through to security which took over 45 minutes. Once through it gets worse - building work restricts the terminal as all passengers are forced through duty free shop. Once through to the 4 food/drink outlets the area becomes gridlocked. Queues proceeded to develop into duty free shop for the passport control area. None of the e-passport lanes were open - why is that? Tempers develop as people try and jump the passport queue and no staff on hand to assist. Now comes the classic for our trip back to Luton - have boarding pass checked get on bus and taken to aircraft. The short journey is not pleasant as driver keeps breaking sharply and it appeared at times we were travelling too fast. Held on tarmac for 20 mins as plane is still being cleaned. Given go ahead get on plane and sit down and a cursory chat with one if the flight crew reveals we are actually sitting on a Monarch flight to Gatwick. Flight crew apologise it is established the driver is at fault. Another bus is requested but this time they bring a smaller bus to pick us up so 15 of us are left on the tarmac for another 15 minutes. You couldn't make it up No idea how Faro will manage peak season and I will not travel there again.

This was our fifth visit to Faro airport, this being by far our worst experience. We arrived early on Sunday morning, 3 hrs prior to flight time. Found the airport very busy, with long queues at most desks. For Thomson, we had to walk to seemingly the far end of the building for our desk. We required special assistance, has my wife has trouble climbing steps to the plane. We were directed, after check in to an area of seating and told to await the SA team to come and pick us up, and take us through to the gate. Many people were left waiting for over an hour. With departure times getting closer, and no one from SA turning up to help, the many people gathered there. Despite drawing attention of many staff, still nothing happened. Bearing in mind many people here, were vulnerable, and urgently needed help. We were constantly told that they were very busy. This I cannot understand, as they must have been aware of the numbers booking SA service, prior to arriving. No major delays with planes was obvious, so why the problem. They should staff up accordingly. The airport was very disorganised, understand being refurbished, but that is no excuse. After waiting nearly 1.5 hours, we went through on our own. After queuing for 30 mins or so to get through to the gates, we had to miss duty free, etc and rush to plane. At gate we were placed in a room, that had seats etc for circa 200 at most, this plane had over 300 people waiting. This experience had certainly put us off visiting the Algarve, or we may have to fly to Lisbon next time and travel down. Until this airport is sorted out, and staffed better it will discourage a lot of British visitors. We were certainly not the only ones making this comment. Toilets etc also were not clean, another symptom of poor staffing.

This is a complete building site. We travelled with Jet2, which are usually so organised. This time it was completely chaotic trying to find your transfers. Also, with Jet2 you need your hiking shoes to get to the check-in desks. They have put them as far away from the entrance as possible, really difficult for people with mobility (don't think this is Jet2's fault, down to the airport - brexit maybe). The toilet facilities cannot cope with the number of passengers, and I dread to think what it will be like in the height of summer. It took us 1 hour to get through passport control on arrival, and there were other flights queuing after us, all the way back up the stairs. Felt really sorry for people with children. We would not go to the Algarve again until they complete all the building work.

✅ Verified Review | No air conditioning at Faro Airport - 1 hour long queues to pass through security - 30 minutes to be served at Burger King (which wasn't even busy). Easily the worst airport experience I've ever had. It's bad enough to make you choose an alternative travel destination in order to avoid the airport's poor service, sweltering heat and excessive queues.

Traveled as a group and 3 of us needed assistance. It was awful. On arrival we were taken from the aircraft and literally left at an entrance where a few wheelchairs were sitting, who was going to push us? We had to get other passengers to do this, no one there to tell us were to go or help us in anyway, a total disgrace. On departure we were left sitting for 20 minutes waiting on assistance only to be taken 1 at a time, the others had to sit until he got us through security and go back for another person resulting in us not getting any duty free. This guy was lovely and friendly though were told they were extremley busy. The flight had been booked for 6 months so it should be well covered. More staff needed, has put me off visiting again.

✅ Verified Review | On arrivals it took about an hour to get through passport control, understandable with what's been happening in Europe recently but they needed more staff. People were backed all the way up the stairs. On departure there was no room to sit down and have a quick bite to eat, people had to sit on the floor. Also on departure there was no easy access to women's hygiene products in the toilet or in the shop! This airport does nothing but stress you out.

✅ Verified Review | I appreciate the airport is having major improvements and this will cause disruption. But today I had a flight back to Prestwick airport and we had 3 different gate changes whilst at airport, 3 times had to produce passports and staff at airport where also under pressure and very poor and not helpful at all. The flight was also delayed due to one of the buses from gate to plane being held up for some reason, flight FR652 cabin crew did a fantastic job in dealing with delay and some pain in the backside passengers tho so well done to them.