Airports handle record 8.9 million passengers through March

Although tourism growth has slowed since the start of the year, national airports continue to reach historic monthly passenger highs. In the first two months of 2026, 8.9 million passengers passed through the country's airports, a 3.7% increase compared to the same period last year, according to data released Tuesday by the National Statistics Institute (INE). Portela airport handled over half of the country's passenger traffic (55.6%), while Porto airport saw the highest growth at 7.7%. Funchal overtook Faro as the third busiest airport, while Faro experienced a 1.9% decline. Spain remains the top country of origin for flights, and the UK is the primary destination.