LISBON, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- As dawn breaks over Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport, the departure halls are already crowded with passengers waiting for delayed flights. For many travelers in 2025, this scene has become all too familiar - an unwelcome prelude to holidays or business trips in one of Europe's most tourism-dependent countries.
Portugal now holds the dubious distinction of being a European leader in flight disruptions, raising questions about whether the nation's infrastructure can support its rapidly expanding tourism sector. AirHelp reports that in 2025, Portugal had the highest rate of affected passengers, overtaking Greece.
According to AirHelp, a company that provides online services helping passengers seek compensation for flight problems, around 36 percent of roughly 227,000 flights departing Portugal were delayed in 2025, affecting more than 11.6 million passengers.
The situation is now threatening the Portuguese economy, which relies heavily on tourism. Bank of Portugal figures show that tourism generated 27.7 billion euros (32.4 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024, accounting for 20 percent of exports.
Carlos Abade, president of Turismo de Portugal, told Xinhua that Lisbon Airport has capacity limitations and difficulty in expanding. "That creates many constraints, even on entering new markets that are strategic for Portugal, due to the difficulty of finding slots and runway space."
Lisbon Airport handled more than 16 million departing passengers in 2025, with 44 percent affected by disruptions - the worst performance among Portugal's major hubs. Meanwhile, the airport in Porto saw over seven million departing passengers, with 28 percent disrupted. However, Faro in southern Portugal, the main gateway to the Algarve, emerged as the country's most punctual airport, with 79 percent of flights departing on time.
Abade said the challenge is balancing immediate fixes with long-term planning. Noting a new airport due to open in Lisbon in 2037, he said the timeline should be shortened, and interim measures are needed, including investments to slightly increase movements, encouraging larger aircraft and higher load factors, and strengthening coordination with other airports.
Lawyer Bruno Gutman, who specializes in public policy and institutional coordination, describes Portugal as a victim of its own success. Portugal has become fashionable in the last eight to ten years for "tourism, business, and immigration, but public services were not sufficiently prepared to absorb such unprecedented demand. Airports face the same reality."
Gutman warns that disrupted flights undermine the visitor experience at the very beginning. "It creates a bad impression, and often the person chooses not to return," he said. "Hotels, restaurants, and retailers all suffer, and Portugal's image abroad can also be damaged, affecting other types of business and investment."
These concerns are echoed by business owners. Paulo Dalla Nora Macedo, a restaurant entrepreneur in Lisbon, said: "In my restaurant, which serves high-income tourists, it is common to hear complaints about flight delays and immigration problems."
Infrastructure and technology are also under scrutiny. Anton Radchenko, CEO of AirAdvisor and a specialist in aviation law, notes that Portugal has ranked among Europe's three worst performers for punctuality since 2023, according to Eurocontrol. He points to persistent underinvestment and operational pressure, particularly in Lisbon.
Recent attempts to modernize border controls have added to the strain. The rollout of the Entry/Exit System (EES) at Lisbon Airport caused long immigration queues. Although the system was temporarily suspended for non-EU citizens, it is expected to return.
"The main airports in Portugal, especially Lisbon, handle growing volumes year after year," Radchenko said. "In 2024 alone, the country's ten main airports handled 69.2 million passengers. This extraordinary volume demands serious attention. Delays and cancellations generate losses across the tourism value chain and harm Portugal's international reputation."
Some solutions are already being debated. Gutman suggested a better distribution of international flight traffic among Lisbon, Porto, and Faro Airports. Digitalization, streamlined procedures, and adequate staffing are also part of the short and medium-term agenda.
For Portugal, a country seeking to prosper by welcoming the world, the reliability of its runways has become a strategic concern. (1 euro = 1.17 U.S. dollar)
