Faro - Gago Coutinho International Airport guide

Faro Airport opened in July 1965 as the main gateway to Portugal's Algarve region. In September 2022 it was renamed Faro - Gago Coutinho International Airport, honouring the naval officer who completed the first aerial crossing of the South Atlantic in 1922. The Portuguese state owns the airport; ANA Aeroportos de Portugal, part of the Vinci Airports group, has operated it since Portugal privatized its airport network in 2013.

The airport crossed 10 million annual passengers for the first time in 2025, up nearly 6% on the 9.8 million recorded in 2024. The United Kingdom supplies about 46% of traffic, followed by Germany, Ireland, France and the Netherlands. New routes launched in 2025 included Newark, Helsinki, Reykjavik and Riga, extending the airport's reach beyond its traditional charter and low-cost markets.

A single asphalt runway, 2,490 metres long, handles all traffic; aircraft movements reached 67,510 in 2025. The airport sits close to Faro's old town and the Ria Formosa wetlands, serving both city-break and beach tourism across the Algarve as the region's only international airport.