Porto Gets a New Direct Flight Route to Split, Croatia

Foreign residents who have made Porto their home—and newcomers sizing up Portugal’s north—now have a fresh escape hatch to the Adriatic. easyJet has unveiled a twice-weekly link between Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport and Split, Croatia, adding Mediterranean island-hopping to the growing menu of direct flights out of the country’s second-largest city.

A Shortcut to Dalmatian Calm

Leaving every Monday and Thursday from 23 June, the orange-tailed Airbus A320 family jets cover the 2,100-kilometre hop in roughly three hours. That timetable is handy for expats chasing a long weekend of yacht charters, walks through the Roman-era Diocletian’s Palace or lazy afternoons on Bačvice Beach. easyJet’s booking engine was still offering one-way seats in early July for about €73, underscoring the low-cost carrier’s pitch that Split should be as reachable—and affordable—as Lisbon or Madrid.

A Birthday Present to Porto

The new route is also a way for easyJet to mark the tenth anniversary of its Porto base. Since stationing aircraft and crews in the city in 2015, the airline has scaled up to six A320s permanently on site, another five that rotate in, and roughly 300 local employees. Nearly 23.4 million passengers have flown easyJet into or out of Sá Carneiro Airport since the very first service back in 2007. Company managers say the decision to base aircraft here was driven by the “economic muscle” of northern Portugal and the catchment that stretches into Galicia and Castile-and-León.

North Portugal’s Gateway Keeps Growing

Porto’s airport handled 15.9 million travellers in 2024, making it one of Europe’s fastest-rising mid-size hubs. Officials at ANA, the national airport operator, believe the facility can crack the 20-million mark within a few years if current momentum holds. easyJet alone will average 56 daily departures this summer, equating to more than three million seats in the current fiscal year. That year-round frequency matters for local businesses as much as tourists, helping restaurants, hotels and wine estates in the Douro fight off winter seasonality.

What It Means for Foreigners in Portugal

For internationals living in Porto, the wider choice of non-stops translates into cheaper multi-city travel across Europe without routing through Lisbon. Split could double as a gateway to the Croatian islands of Hvar, Brač and Vis, all served by ferries leaving minutes from the airport shuttle bus. British or German residents working remotely from Portugal will find similar digital-nomad communities on the Dalmatian coast—as well as reciprocal visa-free travel inside the Schengen Area.

Cape Verde: A Tropical Detour Remains on the Board

Not every new departure heads east. Since October easyJet has been flying direct to Sal, Cape Verde, the sun-drenched archipelago where Portuguese is widely spoken. Two weekly rotations in July and August give northern-based surfers and kiteboarders a shortcut to 25-degree Atlantic water. The carrier says the tropical link complements its European portfolio while reinforcing ties with Lusophone communities dotted around Portugal.

Eyes on the Winter Schedule

easyJet managers hinted during anniversary celebrations that more additions are coming in the next timetable update. The airline currently serves 27 destinations in 12 countries out of Porto, and local tourism officials expect at least one further winter sun connection to be announced before autumn. With competition intensifying—TAP now links Porto to Boston and TAAG Angola is arriving later this year—northern Portugal’s expat crowd could soon find long-haul travel easier than ever.