The beginning of 2026 is revealing weaknesses in the functioning of air transport in Portugal, at a time when the number of trips continues to grow. More than two million passengers faced delays, cancellations or other disruptions at domestic airports during the first three months of the year.
According to , which cites AirHelp, a company specialized in defending the rights of air passengers, between January and March 49,770 flights departed from Portugal, carrying a total of 6,473,744 passengers. Still, only 64% of trips occurred within the scheduled time, leaving more than 2.3 million people exposed to some type of embarrassment.
Although a significant part of these situations correspond to short-term delays, there is a relevant group of passengers potentially eligible for financial compensation. More than 63 thousand people are at stake, affected by delays of more than three hours, cancellations or failed connections between flights.
More movement, more pressure
The increase in activity compared to the same period last year is evident. In the first quarter of 2025, 45,212 flights and just over six million passengers had been registered. In 2026, the numbers grew by 11% in the volume of flights and 7% in the number of travelers.
This growth brought, however, a worsening in the rate of disturbances, which rose by around 13%. Evolution suggests that the sector’s response capacity has not kept pace with demand, in a context already pressured by structural limitations.
Differences between airports
Analysis by airport reveals different performances. Faro appears as the most efficient among the main national airports, with 73% of flights departing without any disturbance. Close behind is Porto, with a punctuality rate of 72%.
Lisbon, on the other hand, maintains operational difficulties. At the country’s main airport, 39% of flights were delayed or canceled. In practice, this means that almost four in every ten passengers departing from the capital faced problems on their journey.
TAP leads in passengers
With regard to airlines, TAP was once again the carrier with the highest number of passengers on flights departing from Portugal, surpassing the two million mark in the period under review.
According to the same source, 63% of these passengers traveled without incident, while 37% faced some type of disruption. Even so, the data indicates an improvement compared to the performance recorded in the previous year.
Eyes on summer
The now known data comes at a time when the sector is preparing for the months of greatest intensity. Summer, traditionally marked by a significant increase in tourist demand, once again puts the operational capacity of airports and airlines to the test.
According to the same source, punctuality levels, traffic management and the ability to respond to unforeseen events will be decisive in the coming months. With recent history, the sector enters the peak season under increased pressure.
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