The Portugal Guides

TAP Opens Porto–Terceira Nonstop from 1 July 2026

· 2 min read Travel News
Angra do Heroísmo harbour and volcanic landscape on Terceira, Azores

Contents

  1. Route Details
  2. Why This Matters for Travellers
  3. Booking

TAP Air Portugal added a fourth mainland-to-Azores route on 1 July 2026, connecting Porto Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO) directly to Lajes Airport on Terceira (TER). Until now, travellers from northern Portugal had to transit through Lisbon to reach Terceira - a detour that could add three hours or more to the journey.

Route Details

The new service runs four times weekly - Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays - operated by an Airbus A320neo. Departures from Porto are at 15:20, landing in Terceira at approximately 17:05. The return leaves Terceira at 17:55 on Mondays and Sundays, and at 18:10 on Wednesdays and Fridays, arriving in Porto at around 21:25 and 21:40 respectively.

TAP now operates 48 weekly flights between mainland Portugal and the Azores archipelago across all routes. The Porto–Terceira service joins existing connections to São Miguel (Ponta Delgada), Faial (Horta), and the new Lisbon–Santa Maria route launched simultaneously this summer.

Why This Matters for Travellers

Terceira is the third-largest island in the Azores and home to Angra do Heroísmo, a UNESCO World Heritage city, as well as the Algar do Carvão volcanic cave and Serreta reef - one of the Azores’ better-known whale-watching grounds. The island sees fewer visitors than São Miguel, which keeps accommodation prices lower and hiking trails less crowded.

Previously, anyone flying from Porto to Terceira faced a minimum 90-minute connection in Lisbon plus the risk of missing the onward flight if the first leg ran late. The direct route removes that friction entirely.

The route also opens a useful onward connection for transatlantic passengers: travellers flying into Porto from North America - including those on Delta’s JFK–Porto nonstop - can now continue directly to Terceira without rerouting through Lisbon.

Booking

Flights can be booked at flytap.com. As a new seasonal route, capacity is limited and peak-summer dates fill quickly. The A320neo seats 168 passengers in a two-class configuration.

For those planning an Azores island-hopping trip, Terceira works well as a base for two or three nights before hopping to São Miguel or Faial on SATA inter-island flights.