During the first six months of the year, a total of 24.3 million people arrived at Portugal’s airports, signalling a 344% rise compared to the same time in 2021.

This is according to a report recently published by the National Statistics Institute (INE). The data also shows the number of visitors to the country in the first half of the year remains under pre-pandemic levels by 12.8%, despite the substantial improvements to Portugal’s travel and tourism sector.

The figures by the National Statistics Institute show Lisbon airport registered a total of 21.1 million passengers between January and June, accounting for 49.8% of the total, and indicating a 380.9% rise compared to 2021’s figures.

Additionally, Porto airport registered 5.52 million passengers during the first half of this year, a 335.0% increase; whilst Faro airport’s passenger numbers rose 503.2%, to total 3.46 million, Schengen Visa Info reports.

Nevertheless, compared to June 2019 the number of aircraft landing at Portugal’s airports fell 3.3%, whilst passenger numbers declined 2.7%.

Furthermor, around 80.8% of visitors to the country in June this year came from other countries, compared to 70.9% in June 2021, with the majority travelling from Europe, totalling 68.5%.

According to the National Statistics Institute, this year has seen a “tendency to approach the levels recorded in the pre-pandemic period.

“In June 2022, there was an average daily landing of 95,900 passengers at [Portugal’s] airports (87,100 in the previous month), approaching the value observed in June 2019 (98,100),” the INE statement says, as reported by Portugal Resident.

In terms of passengers on international flights to and from Portugal during the first half of the year, those from the UK represented the highest number, totalling a year-on-year rise of 720%. This was followed by travellers from France and Spain.