Faro Airport arrivals: TikTok videos of EU airport go viral as Brits warn of 'long queues' and 'holidaymakers everywhere'

The issue has seemed to be continuing all week at the popular airport in Portugal. It is the main airport for holiday hotspots in the destination including Albufeira. All of the videos from the past week show huge queues at passport control that snake all around the building.

The latest viral video on TikTok was posted on Thursday 22 May. The user wrote: “Faro Airport is absolutely packed today — May 22nd and it already feels like peak summer! Long queues, busy terminals, and travelers everywhere. If you’re flying soon, get here early and pack your patience. Looks like the travel season is officially in full swing!”.

A user commented saying: “That’s not bad. Was way worse last week when I was there. Only thing worse was the queue to leave at departure passport control, pure chaos”. Another added: “Went there last week it was worse than this!”.

Other viewers claimed to have a contrasting experience - with many saying they whizzed through passport control in a matter of minutes. One user said: “We came home on the 22nd May on the 8.05pm flight to Gatwick. No queue for check in, security or passport control”.

In 2013, Vinci Airports acquired ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal, which held a 50-year concession contract for 10 airports in Portugal, including Faro. Four years later, the company invested a staggering €32.8 million (around £27 million) into the airport, as it started recording rapid growth.

Vinci said: "The extension and renovation works have increased the size of the terminal from 81,200 to 93,120 sq. metres, and thus the airport's passenger-handling capacity from 2,400 to 3,000 people an hour. Zones dedicated to retail outlets and restaurants have been enlarged and renovated to better serve travellers' expectations, and new security-check areas have been built to meet new airport security requirements while at the same time ensuring a smoother passage for passengers."

Faro welcomed a staggering 5.2 million visitors last year. Albuferia, one of the most popular cities in the Algarve, is just 37 minutes away from the airport.