Porto Airport (OPO) Flights & Flight Status

Known as Oporto in Portuguese, Porto Airport is officially Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, named for the Porto-born Prime Minister who died in a plane crash on his way there in 1980. On a lighter note, it’s widely regarded as one of Europe’s very best, up there with Zurich and Istanbul. It may be second in size and passenger numbers to the capital’s Lisbon Airport but it’s head and shoulders above it in every other way.

Despite first opening in 1945, Porto is an incredibly modern, contemporary and cleverly designed airport. Its single three-storey terminal is easy to navigate, spacious and packed with top-end facilities and amenities. It has plenty of awards to prove as much.

Airlines serving Porto Airport

Despite its single terminal, Porto is very popular and handles impressive passenger numbers thanks to the diverse range of operating airlines. In 2023 alone just over 15 million passengers passed through its gates on 36 airlines, travelling direct to and from 120 destinations across 36 countries. Despite those numbers, it still maintains an exceptionally high customer rating in most online polls.

Airlines are a mix of ubiquitous low-cost carriers and major international airlines serving long haul destinations. Currently, flights are roughly a 10% domestic, 90% international split. Ryanair is the biggest airline by flight numbers, followed by fellow budget operators easyJet and VistaJet. Iberia Regional and the Portuguese flag carrier TAP Air aren’t too far behind. Longer routes are served by the likes of United Airlines, Emirates, British Airways, Finnair and Lufthansa, to name but a few.

If you’re flying into or out of Portugal, there are three main international airports to choose from. Heading far south to the Algarve, you’ll have to suffer the minor inconvenience of Faro Airport. But if you’re staying anywhere centrally, I strongly advise you to consider bypassing the nightmare of Lisbon’s airport for the tranquillity of Porto’s – even if it’s not quite as convenient a connection point.

Getting to and from Porto and Portugal

Porto’s airport is just eight miles north of its magnificent city centre and is blisteringly easy and cheap to get to and from. Options are plentiful. For travel beyond Porto to the north, inland or south, there are three main stations in the city easily accessed by all the transport options I list below. The main station, São Bento, is worth visiting as a standalone monument for its jaw-dropping architecture and famed blue and white murals depicting Portuguese history.

Taxi and private transfer

Porto is one of the few major cities where an airport taxi won’t cost you an arm and a leg. The commute to Boavista in the centre takes around 20 minutes, and it’s ten minutes more to the downtown area of Avenida dos Aliados and on to the Douro River.

The airport is also oddly well served by private transfer services connecting to Porto and beyond. If you’re happy to organise one in advance, a transfer is a great option that works out around the same price as a taxi. The big advantage is that it will be waiting for you when you emerge from the terminal, so you won’t have to fight through taxi queues. Shared transfers are cheaper but leave you subject to the whims of fellow passengers, which may not be worth the few saved euros.

Metro

Costing around a tenth of a taxi, the Metro is my preferred airport commute. Modern, sleek and comfortable, Purple Line E metro trains run every 20 or so minutes and the trip takes around 35 minutes. Much of the journey is above ground, so it’s a lovely way to say hello or goodbye to the city. You’ll need to buy an Andanta card for a Zone 3 (or Z3) trip, which you can do at any metro station.

The airport’s modern open plan metro station is a five-minute subterranean walk from the terminal entrance. Note that if you’re coming into the airport from the city, you’ll arrive into the ground floor Arrivals area, but worry not as Departures is just two floors above.

Bus and shuttle

Costing around the same as the metro, buses are slower, less reliable, less comfy and more limited in their destinations. Roughly scheduled to leave every 25 minutes or so, they’re also subject to regular delays. Unless you’re taking a long distance coach to somewhere you can’t reach by train, I can’t imagine why anyone would ever use a Porto bus. For direct connections to the towns of Braga and Guimarães, take the 50-minute GetBUS shuttle.

Car hire

If you’re heading into Porto, don’t rent a car. It’s a busy city to drive through and always has more than its share of roadworks to slow things down. If you’re travelling beyond though, Portugal’s main road network is extensive and well maintained, particularly the lesser used toll motorways. It’s a great country for a road trip.

You’ll find all the major rental agencies have desks in the terminal, although there are also several smaller, local agencies off site a shuttle ride away. If you’re travelling on a budget, these might be a better option but are undoubtedly more hassle. If you’re planning to drive the coast or deep inland, I recommend getting a decent size car and comprehensive insurance as the tarmac does run out in places.

Navigating the airport

Refurbished and expanded nearly 20 years ago, Porto Airport’s forward-thinking architects have created a space that feels just as fresh and modern today. It’s also been smartly designed with expansion in mind, as more and more people opt for it over Lisbon. Sheathed in glass and steel, it’s an incredibly bright, open and spacious building – I particularly love the top floor glass wall with far reaching views over the apron below.

The single terminal has three storeys. Arrivals are on the ground floor, which makes it super convenient to get out of the airport easily. The departures hall where you’ll find check in and security are on the top floor. Sandwiched between them on the middle floor is the departures lounge and gates. Signposting is clear and the excellent space to passenger ratio means getting around isn’t as fraught as at many airports.

Check in, bag drop and security

Head to the top floor and you’ll find around 60 check-in desks, a bag drop area and a few landside facilities including a café, bar and restaurant. Even with Porto’s space and slick functionality, queues for check in and bag drop are inevitable, although I’ve never seen anything too horrifying. Half an hour should be more than enough unless you’re in peak holiday season.

Sadly, like its sibling in Lisbon, Porto Airport doesn’t yet have the new 3D x-ray security scanners that mean liquids and laptops can stay in bags. Until this smart tech is implemented, queues are also inevitable as passengers fumble with luggage and regulations. This is definitely tempered by the excellent ground staff who in my experience are efficient, friendly and fast. I’ve never waited more than 30 minutes, even in busy periods.

Pass through security and you’ll take the escalator down to the main departures lounge, separated – as is the European way – into Schengen and Non-Schengen areas. While both have their fair share of entertainment and eating options, the Schengen area is far better served.

Beware lingering here too long if you’re on a Non-Schengen flight though. You’ll still need to go through passport control to get to your gate and queues can be lengthy if there’s a rush of planes flying close together. Red-faced passengers meekly asking to jump the queue to make their flight are not an uncommon sight.

Shopping and eating airside

There are around 17 restaurants and 45 shops in the departures lounge, as well as the standard duty free offerings. Among them, there are plenty of outlets serving and selling Iberian favourites. The handicrafts, trinkets and delicacies at Portfolio make great last-minute authentic Portuguese gifts, and I like that the typical high-end boutiques are replaced with more fitting southern European brands – Desigual, GEOX and the like.

If you’re hungry and haven’t yet tried one, head to A Francesinha to taste the heart-stopping national sandwich of the same name, first made in Porto. Personally, I can’t stand them but they’re a national staple and many tourists seem to disagree with me. Follow it up with a pastel de nata and you’ll hit your monthly calorie limit in just one meal! For something a little more refined, try Douro.

One thing to be aware of: in my experience most of Porto’s shops and restaurants close oddly early, usually around 9 to 9.30 pm, even if they’re opening times claims otherwise. Even the reliable international fast food joints seem to follow suit, so if you’re on a later flight, it may be wise to eat before you arrive. The other option is the ANA Lounge, open until 11 pm but I’ve never had cause to need it, as the rest of the airport is generally so well serviced.