Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport

Humberto Delgado Airport, commonly known as Lisbon Airport, is the primary international airport of Portugal and one of the busiest in Southern Europe. Located in the Portela de Sacavem area, approximately 7 kilometers north of the Lisbon city center, the airport opened in 1942 and is remarkably close to the heart of the Portuguese capital. LIS handles over 31 million passengers per year across two terminals. Terminal 1 serves the majority of airlines, including TAP Air Portugal, the national carrier, while Terminal 2 was added in 2007 to handle low-cost carriers, primarily EasyJet and Ryanair. TAP Air Portugal uses Lisbon as its primary hub and has developed an extensive network linking Portugal to Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa, as well as to European and North American destinations. This linguistic and cultural bridge has given Lisbon a unique role as a connecting point between Europe and the Lusophone world. The Lisbon Metro Red Line provides direct service from the airport to the city center in approximately 20 minutes. The airport operates two runways in an intersecting configuration, which limits simultaneous operations. Lisbon's proximity to the airport is both an advantage for travelers and a challenge for expansion, as the flight path passes directly over densely populated areas. A new airport, either at Montijo or Alcochete, has been under discussion for years to supplement the congested Portela facility and accommodate Portugal's rapidly growing tourism sector.