Portuguese airports reach maximum of almost 63 million passengers until November

November registered a movement of 4,5 million passengers at national airports, 11,8% more than in the same month of 2019. Compared to November 2022, it increased by 8.5%.

Monthly passenger figures at national airports continue to record record highs. In November, there was a movement of 4,5 million passengers in air transport, which corresponds to increases of 8,5% compared to the same month of 2022 and 11,8% compared to November 2019, according to data from the national statistics institute (INE).

With these figures, the set of Portuguese airports reached a record of 62,998 million passengers in the first 11 months of 2023, 19,7% more than in the same period of the previous year and 12,2% higher compared to the pre-pandemic period.

Between January and November, the United Kingdom was the main country of origin and destination of flights, registering growth of 17,1% in the number of passengers disembarked and 17,2% in the number of passengers embarked compared to the same period in 2022. France and Spain ranked second and third, respectively, as both the country of origin and destination of the flights.

The rapid statistics of Air Transport, released this Monday, reveal that the month of November registered an average daily landing of 70,8 passengers, higher than that observed in the same month of 2022 (65,6 thousand, which corresponds to an increase of 7,9%), as well as compared to November 2019 (64,2 thousand, in which the increase was in the order of 10,3%).

In the month under review, 81,4% of passengers landed at national airports corresponded to international traffic, that is, 1,7 million. The majority (67.8% of the total) came from the European continent, which reflects a year-on-year increase of 9.8%. The American continent was the second main origin, with 9,1% of total passengers disembarked (10,4% more compared to November 2022).

With regard to the destination of passengers, 83% corresponded to international traffic, with a total of 1.9 million passengers. The main destination was Countries of the European continent (69% of the total), an increase of 9,5% compared to the same month of 2022. The second main destination of passengers embarked was also the American continent (9.7% of the total).

Between January and November of last year, Lisbon airport handled close to half of the total number of passengers (49.5%), around 31.2 million. This figure points to an increase of 20% compared to the first 11 months of 2022 (7,8% more compared to the same period in 2019).

Porto Airport, in turn, concentrated 22,4% of total passengers, for a total of 14,1 million, which is equivalent to an increase of 21,1% compared to the same period in 2022 (plus 16,1% compared to the period before the pandemic).

Faro was the third airport with the highest passenger movement in that period, with 9,3 million (year-on-year increase of 18,2% and 6,8% compared to the same months of 2019).

The statistical office also notes that, until November, there was a “slight decrease” (-0,9%) in the movement of cargo and mail at national airports compared to the same period in 2022, totaling 202.797 tons. Only in the penultimate month of last year, 20,6 tons of cargo and Mail were moved, a value 6,7% above November 2022 and 5,1% above the same month of 2019.