INE data cited by Publituris shows that, in January, an average of 65.6 thousand passengers disembarked per day at national airports, a figure that was “higher than that recorded in January 2024” by around 6.8%, when 61.4 thousand passengers disembarked at national airports.

In January, Portuguese airports also received 16 thousand aircraft on commercial flights, which, according to the INE, represents a growth of 1.6% compared to the same month last year.

INE data, released on 14 March, also shows that the majority of passengers disembarking at national airports in January were of international origin, totaling 1.6 million passengers, which corresponds to an increase of 7.6% compared to January 2024.

Among international passengers disembarking at Portuguese airports, 63.2% came from European airports, which indicates an increase of 6.1% compared to January 2024, while the American continent was the second main origin, concentrating 11.1% of the total number of disembarked passengers, an increase of 7.1% compared to the same month in 2024.

As for embarked passengers, the INE found that 82.4% corresponded to international traffic, making a total of 1.8 million passengers, an increase of 5.3%, of which 66.4% had airports on the European continent as their main destination, registering a growth of 4.1% compared to January 2024. Airports on the American continent were the second main destination for embarked passengers, which represented 10.3% of the total, after an increase of 4.8%.

Passenger movement in Funchal surpasses Faro

The INE data also compares the national airports that received the most passengers in January and shows that, in the first month of the year, Lisbon airport handled 56.9% of the total number of passengers, totaling 2.4 million, representing a growth of 6.9%.

Faro airport recorded a 6.1% growth in passenger movement, totaling 309.9 thousand, and Porto airport accounted for 22.4% of the total number of passengers handled, totaling 949.6 thousand passengers, an increase of 2.1%.

However, INE highlights “that Funchal airport was the 3rd airport with the highest passenger movement in January 2025 (330.0 thousand; +9.3%), surpassing Faro airport”.

As for markets, INE data also show that France was, in the first month of the year, “the main country of origin and destination for flights”, registering growth in the number of disembarked and embarked passengers compared to January 2024 of 6.5% and 1.9%, respectively.

Spain and the United Kingdom occupied the second and third positions, as the main countries of origin, and the opposite positions as the main countries of destination, while Brazil and Germany alternated in the fourth and fifth positions, “depending on the country of origin or destination of the flights”.