Portuguese airports hit historic May 2026 passenger record

In May 2026 Portuguese airports handled 7.1 million passengers, a 2.9 % increase over the same month a year earlier and a new historic maximum, according to the Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE). An average of 115.5 thousand passengers debarked each day, up 2.4 % from May 2025. International traffic accounted for 83.9 % of arrivals, with the United Kingdom remaining the top market, followed by France, Spain, Germany, Brazil and Italy. Cargo and mail volumes fell 3.3 % to 22.1 thousand tonnes. Lisbon Airport alone processed 50.6 % of the total (14.3 million passengers), while Porto handled 6.8 million and Faro 3.5 million. Aircraft movements rose to 23.8 thousand landings, a 1.5 % year‑on‑year increase. The INE noted that “the movement of passengers at national airports again reached a historic peak in May 2026, following record highs in the four previous months.”