Flights to Faial in 2026: direct from Lisbon, via Ponta Delgada, or by ferry from Pico

There are three ways to reach Faial by air. Azores Airlines flies direct from Lisbon to Horta. SATA Air Açores connects Horta with Ponta Delgada, Terceira, Flores and Corvo. And when neither fits, you can fly to Pico next door and take the ferry across the channel. Which one makes sense depends on where you start, the month you travel and how much a missed connection would cost you. Every figure below carries its year. Schedules change each season, so check the airline's own booking page before you build a trip around any of them.

Horta Airport (code HOR) is in the parish of Castelo Branco on the south coast, 9.5 kilometres south-west of the centre of Horta. Its single runway is 1,595 metres long, which is short for the Airbus A320s that fly to Lisbon, and the Portuguese press reported in 2021 that it forced those flights to carry less cargo and fewer passengers than the aircraft could take. A national government working group proposed extending it to up to 1,800 metres in 2022, but we found no sign of works on the runway in 2026.

The terminal itself has been redone. ANA, the airport operator, finished remodelling the facade, the security area, the boarding and arrival halls and the shops in 2025.

The Portuguese aeronautical publication warns pilots that the ground rises steeply close to the airport, which can cause wind shear and turbulence, so a rough approach on a windy day is normal here. On a bad day a flight may also be diverted or cancelled, which is the main reason to leave slack in your plans.

The aeronautical publication lists buses, taxis and car hire as the ways on, and most visitors use the last two. A taxi into Horta is a short ride; ask the fare before you set off. Rental firms hand over cars at the airport.

The bus is possible but thin. The south-coast line between Horta and Ribeira Funda stops at the airport, and on weekdays it passes Castelo Branco towards Horta at 07:45, 08:35, 14:10 and 16:10, plus 17:40 outside school term, according to the operator's timetable as checked in September 2026. On Saturdays there is one bus into Horta in the morning, and on Sundays there is none. Our guide to getting around Faial has the full timetables.

Azores Airlines flies from Lisbon to Horta. It is a public service route, which means the state sets minimum frequencies and the airline has to fly it all year with a jet. The 2024 tender for the route set a minimum of six flights a week in summer and four in winter. Actual summer schedules have run above that: in April 2024 a spokesperson for Horta's airport users said the route already had ten flights a week in summer.

For summer 2026 Azores Airlines added one extra weekly flight, on Sundays, from 21 June. Its summer season ran from 29 March to 31 October 2026, so expect fewer flights from November.

You may also see these flights sold with a TAP flight number. Azores routes sold by TAP are often flown by Azores Airlines on a codeshare, so look at the "operated by" line when you book, and check in with the airline that flies the plane.

From elsewhere in Europe or from North America you will usually connect through Ponta Delgada on São Miguel, or sometimes through Terceira, and fly on with SATA Air Açores, the inter-island airline. For summer 2026 it planned about 572 inter-island flights a week across the archipelago and added flights between Ponta Delgada and Horta, mainly from June to September, after the route ran very full in 2025.

Book the inter-island leg on the same ticket as your long-haul flight if you can, so the airline has to rebook you when the first flight is late. Outside summer, the connection you need may not run every day.

The cheap way into São Miguel has also changed. Ryanair cancelled all of its Azores routes from 29 March 2026, so older advice about flying low-cost to Ponta Delgada and hopping on to Faial is out of date. The 61-euro "Azores Fare" between islands is only for people with tax residence in the Azores; visitors pay normal fares, which vary by date.

Pico Airport is about 8 kilometres from Madalena, and Lisbon to Pico is also a public service route flown by Azores Airlines. When the Horta flight is full or badly timed, flying to Pico and crossing by boat is the usual way round it. Our article on flights to Pico covers that airport.

From Madalena, Atlânticoline's Linha Azul crosses to Horta in about 30 minutes. The adult fare for visitors was 8.20 euros one way in 2026, according to a fare list updated on 1 August 2026. In the winter of 2026/27 the line runs four return crossings a day, and in summer there are more. The Linha Verde also links Pico, São Jorge and Faial all year, with two return sailings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in winter 2026/27 and one on the other days. Our Faial ferry guide has the crossing times and what happens in bad weather.

The channel can be rough in winter and crossings are sometimes cancelled. If your flight home leaves from Pico, cross the day before rather than on the morning of the flight.

From May to September, try the direct Lisbon flight to Horta first and book early, because the seats go. If it is full, look at Pico and the boat, which adds an hour or two.

From November to March, there are fewer flights and the sea is rougher. A direct flight is worth paying for, and whichever way you come, keep a spare day before your flight home, because wind and sea can cancel both the flight and the ferry.

From the rest of Europe, compare a connection in Lisbon with one in Ponta Delgada. Lisbon gives you the direct flight to Horta; Ponta Delgada gives you a stop on São Miguel if you want one.

Is there a direct flight from Lisbon to Faial?

Yes. Azores Airlines flies Lisbon to Horta as a public service route, with a minimum of six flights a week in summer and four in winter under the 2024 tender, and an extra Sunday flight from 21 June 2026.

Which islands can I fly to from Horta?

SATA Air Açores flies from Horta to Ponta Delgada, Terceira, Flores and Corvo. Pico and São Jorge are reached by ferry.

How far is Horta Airport from Horta?

About 9.5 kilometres. Most visitors take a taxi or a hire car; the bus runs only a few times on weekdays.

Does Ryanair fly to Faial?

No. Ryanair cancelled all of its Azores routes from 29 March 2026, so every flight to Horta is with Azores Airlines or SATA Air Açores.

• Horta aerodrome, Portuguese AIP (AD 2 LPHR)
• SATA summer operation 2026, Azores Airlines
• More flights between the mainland and Terceira, Pico and Faial from June, Azores Airlines
• Lisbon-Horta public service tender, DNoticias (Lusa), April 2024
• Horta runway and A320 limits, Observador, July 2021
• Ponta Delgada and Horta terminal works, ANA, November 2025
• Atlânticoline winter 2026/27, Cais do Pico
• Atlânticoline fares and timetables, byAçores
• Ryanair to cancel all Azores flights from March 2026, Ryanair
• Horta - Ribeira Funda (south) bus timetable, Farias