What joy it was to pass through Porto Airport yesterday. An airport that (pre covid) handled half the number of pax than Manchester. Vast spacious areas - Landside ! Lots of facilities - Landside, Lots of seating Landside. Minimal queues at check in desks, 5 minutes through security- even less through passport control. Virtually all shops airside open, plenty of seating & space.
We sat waiting for our easyJet arriving from Manchester- delayed just the one hour, on its two hour turnaround at Manchester on its previous sector. We watched the Ryanair's coming in & departing to Liverpool, Dublin & Edinburgh all on time. What a dismal experience T1 is, last week outbound, nowhere to sit, Pret filthy tables, grubby horrible terminal.Sat on board 45 minutes waiting for the bags to be loaded for Lisbon. I have to pass through this mess again over Easter, but rest assured this will be the last time for a very long time I fly from here.
I have nothing but admiration for the people that work here & have to suffer the pigsty everyday. The "Smart" answer would be for those above Ms Smart to bugger off & get some professionals in.
Sir Gil must be spinning in his grave if he could see how they have transformed a proud regional airport into a global embarrassment.