Faro airport, hold ups!

Faro airport this morning was manic, I only just made my plane!
This was a flight we regularly use, left and arrived at usual time which gives us an hour and ten mins to kill, today I made the last bus out to the plane by minutes!
The queue for security, as I'd checked in on line, was out and around the whole outer circumference of the check in hall! Add to that people checking bags in then walked through and basically queue jumped, there was ructions, no wonder there was a sizeable police presence. It took me just under an hour to get through the security screening. Initially I put this down to the building alterations and the fact they'd closed one entrance, there's just the single entrance now but no, when I got there, out of the twelve security screening lines, five were open, that was the bottle neck! I could hear my flight being called whilst in this queue. You may say I hadn't allowed enough time, but I'd allowed the same as every other time and I do this flight seven or eight times a year for ten years now and never anything like this.
Anyway, scurry through to passport control, all, as in every one, of the electronic passport readers was red crossed, barriered off and not working and guess what, just two officers on duty, more massive queues...the whole place was disorganised chaos! Clearly massively short staffed.
If it's a one off, so be it, but if not, and you're using the airport, allow more time and take a sack full of patience with you.

Andrew wrote: Faro airport this morning was manic, I only just made my plane! This was a flight we regularly use, left and arrived at usual time which gives us an hour and ten mins to kill, today I made the last bus out to the plane by minutes! The queue for security, as I'd checked in on line, was out and around the whole outer circumference of the check in hall! Add to that people checking bags in then walked through and basically queue jumped, there was ructions, no wonder there was a sizeable police presence. It took me just under an hour to get through the security screening. Initially I put this down to the building alterations and the fact they'd closed one entrance, there's just the single entrance now but no, when I got there, out of the twelve security screening lines, five were open, that was the bottle neck! I could hear my flight being called whilst in this queue. You may say I hadn't allowed enough time, but I'd allowed the same as every other time and I do this flight seven or eight times a year for ten years now and never anything like this. Anyway, scurry through to passport control, all, as in every one, of the electronic passport readers was red crossed, barriered off and not working and guess what, just two officers on duty, more massive queues...the whole place was disorganised chaos! Clearly massively short staffed. If it's a one off, so be it, but if not, and you're using the airport, allow more time and take a sack full of patience with you.

Thanks Andrew have to keep an eye on that. I am a get there 30 minutes before check in closes type and never had a problem as check in online. Hope it was just a blip.

Went home on the 20th October (a Thursday) on a 10am flight.
Picked up at 7.15, arrived airport 7.45 and breezed through the whole thing (security & passports) in less than 15 minutes.
We always go straight to passport control as soon as we're through security as the facilities on the other side are just as good and less busy.
We don't browse or shop so all we need is a coffee shop and a loo.
Perhaps there is a reduction in staff now that it's November and the number of flights will be considerably less.

That's right cubsur the action is on until the 6th of November according to the new algarve daily news .com

Went through just over a week ago & they're not done yet.
All a bit odd really - you now go upstairs for departure security checks and then once through them you come downstairs again to where the shops are.
In fact when you come down the stairs you are immediately in front of the entrance to the main Duty Free shop so the small shops etc that used to be before the Duty Free shop have gone and that area is now partitioned off, as is a large area at the other end of the Duty Free shop.
The new Security area, which is where the old upstairs restaurant/smoking area used to be, was quick though. We arrived at the airport at 7.50am, probably their busiest time as there are a lot of morning flights, and although there were a lot of people about we were through security in under 10 minutes.
No doubt things will be changing on a daily/weekly basis until it's finished

Thanks to you both. I'm a bit driven when I'm catching a plane and get there ridiculously early, so I'll be OK.
In March going for a 06:30 flight I was so early at Edinburgh that the shutter was still down at security. I went in with the airside shop staff and of course set off the metal detector. Then put me through the scanner that I think shows all your bits. I suppose that gave them a larf.

Just seen in Portugal News, possible strikes by security personnel at Portugal airports this weekend.
If you're travelling, keep an eye on the situation.
See here:- http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/strike-this-weekend-at-airports/42352