Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport, long known as Portela after the neighbourhood, is the country's busiest, with about 35 million passengers in 2024. In 2016 it was named after General Humberto Delgado, an opponent of Salazar's dictatorship. It is served by the world's leading airlines and many low-cost carriers, with flights across Europe and to Brazil, Africa and North America, as well as domestic flights to Porto, Faro, Madeira and the Azores. It is the hub of the national airline TAP Air Portugal.
Terminals
Terminal 1 is the main one, handling most scheduled flights, including TAP's. Terminal 2, opened in 2007 and linked to Terminal 1 by a free shuttle, is used by some low-cost airlines such as Ryanair, Wizz Air and Transavia: check your terminal before you travel. For return flights arrive well in advance, as security can be slow at peak times.
Getting to the centre
The airport is just 7 kilometres from central Lisbon, very convenient for anyone staying in the city.
- Metro: the red line has a station beneath Terminal 1 and reaches the centre in about 20-25 minutes, changing at Alameda (green line) or São Sebastião (blue line); a trip costs 1.90 euros plus 0.50 euros for the navegante card. It is the cheapest and fastest option, though awkward with lots of luggage at rush hour.
- Bus: several Carris lines, such as the 744 and 783, link the airport with the centre and city districts; at night there is the 208.
- Taxi: taxis wait outside arrivals; a ride to the centre usually costs 15-25 euros, with surcharges for luggage and at night. Be wary of anyone offering very high fixed prices.
- Ride-hailing: apps such as Uber and Bolt have dedicated pick-up points and prices often similar to taxis.
- Private transfer: convenient for families and groups, at a fixed price booked in advance.
The airport is close to motorway junctions, so with a hire car you can set off straight away for the country's main destinations.
A little history
The airport opened in 1942, in the middle of the Second World War: Portugal was one of the few neutral countries in Europe and Lisbon one of the few airports with flights to the Americas, used by both Allied and German aircraft, refugees and spies, an atmosphere made famous by the film Casablanca. As traffic to Europe and across the Atlantic grew, the airport became increasingly cramped, despite the opening of Terminal 2 in 2007 and several expansions. In 2024 the government decided to build a new airport at Alcochete, east of the Tagus, to be called Aeroporto Luís de Camões; meanwhile work is under way to increase the current airport's capacity. Information on other airports is on the page on Portuguese airports, and to visit the capital see our guide to Lisbon.