Lisbon Airport

Lisbon Airport is the busiest airport in Portugal. The airport lies almost entirely within Lisbon city limits. It serves as a major hub connecting Europe with Africa (mainly former colonies) and South America (particularly Brazil).

Understand
Lisbon Airport in Portuguese is called Aeroporto de Lisboa (uh-ee-roo-POR-too d(ih) leezh-BOH-uh, /ɐ.i.ɾu.ˈpoɾ.tu dɨ ɫɨʒ.ˈbo.ɐ/). It's officially called Aeroporto Humberto Delgado, named for a Portuguese Air Force general known for founding TAP Air Portugal and for working to overthrow the Salazar dictatorship. It's also referred to as Portela Airport.

Passenger volume has grown exponentially in the 21st century, from under 10 million in 2003 to 20 million in 2014 and over 31 million in 2019. A spartan satellite terminal was added in 2007, and a new reliever airport is being built in Montijo across the river.

The airport is administered by ANA Aeroportos de Portugal, a government authority that has subcontracted management to Vinci Airports, a French company.

The airport's official website is https://www.aeroportolisboa.pt/.

ANA publishes an app for iOS and Android to help travellers navigate the airport.

Arrival procedures
Passengers arriving from outside the Schengen zone will have to go through immigration and passport control. Schengen-zone citizens can use electronic barriers and national identity cards in place of passports. Non-Schengen citizens will have to queue up to speak with an immigration officer. For most "Western" citizens this is typically a quick formality, while "non-Westerners" may face a lengthy interviews and scrutiny of their visas and other documentation. A long queue often forms when flights from South America and Africa land, and citizens of all non-Schengen countries use the same queue.

After baggage claim, you will head through the customs area, where you will use the green channel/passage if you have nothing to declare or the red channel if you have items subject to import duty.

Passengers arriving from European Union countries within the Schengen zone face no entry formalities. EU non-Schengen arrivals are subject to immigration, but not customs. Schengen non-EU arrivals are subject to customs, but not immigration.

The COVID-19 pandemic has complicated procedures for all arriving passengers. Refer to Portugal for government websites with the latest details.

Departure procedures


Lisbon's security checkpoint is notorious for long delays. Fast Track lets you skip the queue.

If you are flying outside the Schengen zone from Terminal 1, you will use gates 41–47. To access these gates, you will have to go through passport exit controls. At the best of times, these can be quite speedy and efficient, but during the summer high season and other peak periods, you can expect delays. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time. It's too easy to get sidetracked by the many shops and eateries on the way.

TAP Air Portugal

 * Portugal
 * Continental/Mainland Portugal: Faro, Porto
 * Madeira: Funchal, Porto Santo
 * Azores: Ponta Delgada, Terceira
 * Europe: numerous cities, too many to list here
 * Middle East: Tel Aviv
 * Africa, mostly former colonies:
 * Angola: Luanda
 * Cape Verde: Boa Vista, Praia , Sal , São Vicente
 * Guinea-Bissau: Bissau
 * Mozambique: Maputo
 * São Tomé and Príncipe: São Tomé
 * ...and several other African countries
 * North America
 * Canada: Montreal, Toronto
 * Mexico: Cancún
 * United States: Boston, Chicago , Miami , New York City , Newark , San Francisco , Washington, D.C.
 * South America
 * Brazil: Belo Horizonte, Brasilia , Fortaleza , Recife , Rio de Janeiro , Salvador , São Paulo , and several others
 * Venezuela: Caracas

Azores Airlines



 * Azores: Horta, Pico , Ponta Delgada , Santa Maria , Terceira
 * Cape Verde: Praia
 * North America: Boston, Toronto

European full-service carriers
Around two dozen full-service European airlines serve Lisbon, so you'll have little difficulty finding flights from most major and many minor cities.

European low-cost carriers

 * easyJet: uses Lisbon as a base, with service from 18 airports
 * Norwegian Air Shuttle: Copenhagen, Stockholm
 * Ryanair: uses Lisbon as a base, with service from about 30 airports
 * Transavia: Amsterdam, Eindhoven , Lyon , Montpellier , Nantes , Paris , Rotterdam/The Hague
 * Vueling: service from 8 airports, mostly in Spain (departs from Terminal 1, unlike most low-cost carriers)
 * Wizz Air: service from 10 airports, mostly in Central and Eastern Europe

African carriers

 * Air Algérie: Algiers
 * Cabo Verde Airlines: Praia, Sal
 * Royal Air Maroc: Casablanca
 * STP Airways: São Tomé
 * TAAG Angola Airlines: Luanda

North American carriers

 * Air Canada: Montreal (, seasonal), Toronto
 * Air Transat: Montreal, Toronto
 * American Airlines: Philadelphia (, seasonal)
 * Delta Air Lines: Boston (, seasonal), New York City
 * United Airlines: Newark, Washington, D.C. (, seasonal)

South American carriers

 * Azul Brazilian Airlines: Campinas
 * LATAM: São Paulo

Middle Eastern and Asian carriers

 * Beijing Capital Airlines: Beijing, Xi'an
 * El Al: Tel Aviv
 * Emirates: Dubai

By bus
AeroBus (suspended for pandemic), operated by Yellow Bus Tours, offers two routes connecting the airport with major hotels and points of interest:
 * AeroBus 1 — to Cais do Sodré via Entrecampos, Campo Pequeno, Saldanha, Picoas, Marquês de Pombal, Avenida da Liberdade, Restauradores, Rossio, and Praça do Comércio.
 * AeroBus 2 – nonstop to Sete Rios.

Carris operate several city bus routes that stop at the airport.

By taxi
Taxis are plentiful at the airport, and clear signage will lead you to them.

By car
The airport is at the southern end of the A1 motorway (Autoestrada do Norte), with access from such cities as Porto and Coimbra.

By rental car
There are six car rental companies at the airport: Avis–Budget, Europcar, Goldcar (InterRent), Guerin (Alamo, Enterprise, National), Hertz (Thrifty, Dollar, Firefly), and Sixt.

Get around


A free shuttle bus connects the two terminals, running every 10 minutes for a 3-minute trip.

Terminal 1 has some lengthy corridors, but moving walkways are present.

Passengers with reduced mobility or other disabilities can take advantage of the free MyWay service, which provides help with personal and baggage needs from check-in, through security, border controls (if applicable) to boarding, until you reach your airplane seat. Similar services are available for arriving and connecting passengers. You must request MyWay through the airline or your travel agent when booking (or no less than 48 hours before your trip). They will inform the airport of your request.

Eat and drink
You won't go hungry or thirsty at Lisbon Airport. American and global chains are in abundance: Burger King, KFC, McDonald's/McCafe, Pizza Hut, and Starbucks. You'll find many local and national eateries. You might wish to eschew the familiar names that you can find in any corner of the globe and instead enjoy some of the Portuguese offerings.

Terminal 1, before security
Open to the public.



Terminal 1, after security
Available to passengers flying out of Terminal 1.



Terminal 1, after security, non-Schengen
Available to passengers flying outside the Schengen zone from Terminal 1.



Terminal 2, before security
Open to the public.



Terminal 2, after security
Available to passengers departing from Terminal 2.



Buy
After getting through Terminal 1 security, you might believe that you've been teleported to a suburban shopping mall, given the abundance of shops you're greeted with. You'll be forced to wade through the huge duty-free store to reach your gate. The list below appears extensive, but this is just a selection of the myriad shops where you can buy or window shop.

Duty free
There are three full-service duty-free stores, all creatively named Duty Free Store (all open 04:30–00:00): T1 after security, T1 non-Schengen zone, and T2 after security.

There are three Duty Free Store Express stores: T1 after security, T1 non-Schengen zone (both 06:00–22:00) and T1 arrivals (06:00–23:00).

Connect
The airport offers free Wi-Fi.
 * 1) Enable Wi-Fi on your device.
 * 2) Select the "_VINCI Airports WiFi" network and open your web browser.
 * 3) Accept the Terms & Conditions and click "Connect" to join the network.



Nearby

 * Lisbon — If you have time during a layover, Parque das Nações is only 10 minutes away by metro. It has the Oceanário—a huge aquarium–and Centro Comercial Vasco da Gama–a sizeable shopping centre—along with other sights, a riverside promenade, and some food options. The metro also offers access to other parts of the city if the timing of your layover allows.
 * Loures
 * Odivelas