Ponta Delgada has a single terminal providing basic functions, with the main concourse and arrivals area together on the ground floor.
The airport is well laid out and the check-in process is quick. The only security checkpoint leads to the common transit area, where there are free-access departure gates for departures to Schengen countries and then non-Schengen departure gates after passport control.
The transit area is often overcrowded and there are not enough seats, especially in the morning and afternoon.
Transfer between flights
Ponta Delgada is a very common transfer point between flights from Europe and the USA to other Azores islands, but also between flights from the USA/Canada to mainland Portugal or vice versa.
It is one of the fastest and most uncluttered airports in Europe for transfers.
Do I have to leave the transit zone?
No. If you have a connecting flight purchased in one booking or are travelling with hand luggage only and already have an online boarding pass for the connecting flight, you do not need to leave the transit zone.
You will always walk from the plane to the terminal on the tarmac. You enter the concourse. If you are arriving from a non-Schengen country (e.g. USA, Canada, UK, Cape Verde) you will go through passport control (queues of about 20 minutes), whereas if you are arriving from a Schengen country you will not go through any control.
To the right is the exit for baggage claim and to the left is the passage for connecting flights directly to the departure gate area.
There is no security check.
The entire transfer takes about 5 minutes net (+ passport control if applicable).
Do I need to collect my luggage?
Your checked baggage will be automatically transferred and collected at your final destination if you have a connecting flight purchased in one booking.
Overnight in the terminal - opening hours
Some flights depart from Ponta Delgada Airport in the early morning hours and it may be convenient to stay nearby.
Where to stay near the airport?
Ponta Delgada Airport is open between the hours of 5:00 am and 24:00 pm. After the last flight, the terminal closes and it is not officially possible to stay overnight inside.
According to the experience of some travelers, the police have allowed overnight stays at the airport upon presentation of a ticket, but there are no comfortable seats in the terminal, making overnight stays very uncomfortable.
Hotels near the airport
There is no accommodation directly next to the terminal or within walking distance. Looking at the map of hotels, it may appear that some accommodation is very close to the terminal as the crow flies, but the airport is separated from the surrounding area by a high escarpment which cannot be crossed except by a long detour across the road.
So look for the nearest accommodation in the centre of Ponta Delgada, which is a 10-minute taxi ride from the airport.
If you don't want to rely on taxis in the morning, you can stay in simple but pleasant apartments a 20-minute walk down the sidewalk:
