Flight Simulator Flights at LPPM Portimão

Portimão Airport is a small general aviation aerodrome at Montes de Alvor, close to the city of Portimão in the Algarve, Portugal. It has a single short runway and is best known as a base for parachuting and light aviation activity, with limited scheduled services operated by Sevenair.

Overview

Portimão Airport is a small municipal aerodrome situated at Montes de Alvor, close to the city of Portimão in the Algarve region of Portugal. It is used mainly for general aviation, with parachuting being a common activity at the field, and it also hosts limited scheduled and charter flights operated by Sevenair. For a visiting VFR pilot it offers a compact, low-key alternative to the much busier Faro Airport, and lies only a short distance from the Algarve International Circuit motor racing venue.

Airspace & Location

The airfield lies at Montes de Alvor, near Portimão in the Algarve, Portugal, and is situated a few kilometres from the Algarve International Circuit. Faro Airport, the main international gateway for the region, is also within the wider area, and pilots planning a flight to Portimão should expect to operate in proximity to that airport's traffic.

Runways

Portimão has a single physical runway, 11/29, of hard surface construction and equipped with lighting. Runway 11 has a landing length of 2813 feet and Runway 29 a landing length of 2529 feet.

Radio & Navigation

The airfield provides an AFIS (Aerodrome Flight Information Service) on 122 MHz. There is no ILS at Portimão.

History

The airfield has long served as a base for general aviation and parachuting activity in the Algarve. It celebrated its 50th anniversary on 27 August 2021, an occasion marked with a new logo and a photo exhibition. At that event, Portimão's mayor, Isilda Gomes, spoke of plans to expand and further develop the aerodrome, including creating a link with the nearby Algarve International Circuit so that visitors to the racetrack could fly directly into Portimão rather than routing via Faro Airport. This would require the municipal council to take over an adjacent plot of agricultural land to allow the runway to be extended.

The Airfield Today

Portimão Airport continues to support general aviation flying, with parachuting a regular activity at the field. Sevenair operates scheduled and charter flights from the airport to destinations including Bragança, Lisbon-Cascais, Vila Real and Viseu.