Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport lies about 11 kilometres from the centre of Porto, in the municipality of Maia, on the border with Matosinhos. With about 16 million passengers in 2024 it is Portugal's second airport after Lisbon, ahead of Faro. It is named after the politician Francisco Sá Carneiro, a Prime Minister killed in a plane crash in 1980. It is a modern, efficient airport, expanded in 2006, which has repeatedly won ACI (Airports Council International) awards as one of the best European airports in its category.
Airlines and flights
The airport is used by both full-service and low-cost airlines for domestic, European and intercontinental flights. Ryanair and easyJet have major bases here, and airlines include TAP Air Portugal, Transavia, Vueling, Wizz Air, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, British Airways, plus flights to Brazil, North America and Cape Verde.
Getting to the centre
It is the ideal arrival point for Porto and the whole of northern Portugal.
- Metro: line E, purple, links the airport with the centre (Trindade station) in about 30 minutes; an Andante ticket for the zones needed costs a few euros. At Trindade you change for the other lines, while line B goes to Vila do Conde and Póvoa de Varzim.
- Bus: STCP lines such as the 601 and 602 link the airport with the centre and the Matosinhos area, and there is a night service.
- Taxi and apps: a ride to the centre usually costs 20-30 euros; Uber and Bolt are also available.
- Galicia: several buses link the airport with Vigo, Santiago de Compostela and other cities in Spanish Galicia, so the airport is also widely used by travellers heading to north-west Spain.
From the airport Braga, Guimarães, Viana do Castelo and the Douro valley are easy to reach by car. Information on other airports is on the page on Portuguese airports.