“Since the beginning of 2023, there have been historic highs in monthly passenger numbers at national airports”, says the National Statistics Institute (INE), detailing that, in July, there was an average daily arrival of 117.2 thousand passengers, “a value higher than that recorded in July 2022 (104.3 thousand; +12.4%) and 11.1% above that recorded in July 2019 (105.5 thousand), which corresponds to the highest average daily value high since records began”.

According to the “Quick Air Transport Statistics”, in the month of July, seven million passengers and 18.7 thousand tons of cargo and mail moved through national airports, corresponding to variations of +12.5% and -5. 7%, respectively, compared to July 2022. Compared to July 2019, there were increases of 10.8% and 1.5%, in the same order.

In the accumulated period from January to July 2023, the number of passengers increased by 25.2% compared to the same period in 2022, while the movement of cargo and mail registered a decrease (-1.6%). Compared to the same period in 2019, there were increases of 11.8% and 8.2%, respectively.

In July this year, 81.7% of passengers disembarked at national airports corresponded to international traffic, for a total of three million passengers, the majority coming from the European continent (69.0% of the total), corresponding to an increase of 13. 0% compared to July 2022.

American passengers

The American continent was the second main origin, concentrating 8.6% of the total passengers disembarked (+9.1%).

Regarding boarded passengers, 80.3% corresponded to international traffic, totalling 2.7 million passengers, with the main destination being airports on the European continent (66.1% of the total), registering a growth of 13.7% compared to July 2022.

Airports on the American continent were the second main destination for embarked passengers (9.8% of the total; +13.6%).

Of the total of 38,274,000 passengers handled between January and July, Lisbon airport handled 50.0% (19.1 million), having grown 27.1% when compared to the same period in 2022 (+8.0% compared to 2019).


Porto Airport concentrated 22.4% of total passengers and increased by 25.7% (+15.2% compared to 2019), while Faro Airport registered a growth of 19.2% (+5.4% compared to the same period in 2019).

Considering the volume of passengers disembarked and boarded on international flights between January and July, the United Kingdom was the main country of origin and destination for flights, with growth of 20.8% in the number of passengers disembarked and 22.4% in the number of boarded passengers, compared to the same period in 2022.

France occupied the second position, with increases of 21.6% and 22.2%, in the same order, followed by Spain, with “significant increases” compared to the same period in 2022 (+42.6% as country of origin of flights and +42.8% as a destination country).