ANA Aeroportos de Portugal reports that it has invested €32.8m ($38.2m) in expanding its Faro Airport terminal area from 81,200sq m to 93,120sq m, while also increasing the size of both of its retail and food court areas – an expansion it says is still ongoing.

 

Airport management says it has renewed much of its retail area and expanded it on floors one and two, as part of the overall terminal expansion – with more shops and services set to open in the new public space areas as they are expanded further.

 

This is in line with the airport’s original aim to design and create more public and operational areas, while providing greater capacity for the processing of both aircraft and passengers.

 

HUGE INVESTMENT FOR FARO

The airports company says this expansion will greatly help passenger processing and Faro’s ability to handle between 2,400 to 3,000 departing and arriving passengers per hour.

 

Airport management stated: “The works carried out also include the adaptation of the capacity of the passenger terminal to a new system of lanes that allows 30 movements per hour, instead of 24, and the parking of 30 to 37 aircraft.

 

“Inaugurated in 1965, Faro Airport is the main tourist airport in Portugal and plays a decisive role in the economic development of the country by serving the main tourist centres of southern Portugal and Spain.

 

It was, in 2016, the national airport that registered the highest growth – 18.5%, with more than 7m passengers.

 

ACCOMMODATING THE GROWING LCC FACTOR…

“This modernization aims to adapt the infrastructure to a new paradigm of air transportation in Portugal and throughout the Europe – increasing of low-cost airlines. Faro airport registered an increase of low cost passengers and, at the same time, a decrease of passengers of other types of flights. This reality results in a new passenger profile….”.

 

Airport management says security changes have also required a new approach at Faro, with the construction of new control areas, while also making continuing provision to maintaining ‘high safety standards and an adequate level of quality of service’.

 

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa, the Minister of Planning and Infrastructures Pedro Marques, the CEO of VINCI Concessions and President of VINCI Airports Nicolas Notebaert and the President of the Executive Committee of ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal, Carlos Lacerda.