Lisbon Airport
Lisbon Airport has the IATA code LIS and was formerly known as Portela Airport. It was named after the area of the city in which it is situated, which is 7km from the city centre. In 2016 it was officially renamed as Humberto Delgado Airport after the politician and former air force general who was also instrumental in the foundation of TAP, the Portuguese national airline.
The airport has seen continuous growth in passenger numbers and in 2017 handled 26.7 million passengers, an increase of over 18% on the previous year and the most in its history. There are currently forty-seven airlines serving 111 domestic and international destinations.
Lisbon is the most important European airport for flights to Brazil and one of the most important hubs for destinations in Africa. It is also the main hub for Star Alliance flights to South America.
Terminal Buildings and Facilities
Lisbon Airport has two terminal buildings: Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
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Terminal 1 - This is the original and largest building and the one used by most international and domestic airlines. The building has been expanded and improved many times over the years.
There are two check-in areas, one with thirteen check-in counters and the other with sixty-eight desks. Self-service check-in kiosks are also available which help to avoid queues.
Most of the twenty-nine departure gates have air bridges with direct access to the terminal, but there are also remote aircraft parking areas which are accessed by bus.
There are a large number of restaurants, cafés and bars as well as over eighty shops selling a wide variety of goods. Free Wi-Fi, cash points, information desks and currency exchange counters are also available.
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Terminal 2 - This is a relatively new addition to the airport and is much smaller than Terminal 1. This terminal is used by low-cost airlines, mainly Easyjet, Ryanair and Wizz Air.
This terminal has twenty-one check-in desks and fifteen boarding gates, all of which have either walk to or bus access to and from the aircraft.
The facilities are fairly basic but there are a few shops and food and drink outlets. There is no public transport to the terminal but there is a free shuttle bus between the two terminals which runs every ten or twenty minutes, depending on the time of day.
Transport and Parking
The five car parks offer a variety of parking options with Low Cost, Low Cost Plus, Classic, Executive and Premium. There is also a "Kiss & Fly" lane which is free for the first ten minutes.
The car rental offices are located in the arrivals hall of T1 with all the major companies represented as well as some local firms.
There are three kinds of public transportation:
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Metro - There is a Metro station at T1 with trains running every five to fifteen minutes. It takes around twenty minutes to the city centre or ten minutes to Lisbon's main railway station from which you can connect to many locations throughout Portugal. Find out more here.
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Bus - A number of municipal buses connect the airport with locations around the city, but there is a limit to the size of luggage you can take on board. The Aerobus goes to and from the major points in Lisbon. Find out more here.
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Taxi - The taxi ranks are outside the arrivals and departures areas of T1. It is advisable to negotiate the fare before getting in as drivers are renowned for overcharging. Find out more here.
Airport History
Lisbon Airport was opened in 1942 and, as Portugal was neutral during the second world war, was used by German and British airlines.
Soon after the war the airport traffic grew rapidly and was already a major European hub. By 1954 there was in excess of 100,000 passengers passing through.
In the early sixties, major work was carried out on the runways to enable the first-generation commercial jets to use the airport and the first direct transatlantic flights took place.
Various expansion and development of the terminals have since taken place to create a modern international airport.