Flights to Pico in 2026: direct from Lisbon, or via Horta and the ferry

Pico has its own airport, but it is small and the flights fill up. Many visitors land on Faial instead and cross to Madalena by boat in half an hour. A third route goes through Ponta Delgada or Terceira and then on a short inter-island hop. Which one makes sense depends on the month you travel and on how much a missed connection would cost you. Below are all three, with the year of every figure. Schedules change each season, so check the airline's own booking page before you build a trip around any of them.

Pico Airport (code PIX) is on the north coast, about 8 kilometres from Madalena, between the parishes of Bandeiras and Santa Luzia. Its runway is 1,655 metres long, half the length of the one at Lajes on Terceira, which is one reason the island sees fewer and smaller flights than its size would suggest.

The Portuguese aeronautical publication lists buses, taxis and car hire as the ways on from the terminal. In practice most visitors pick up a hire car or take a taxi, because the buses are few. Hertz, for example, listed its airport desk as open daily from 07:00 to 21:00 when it was checked at the end of September 2026. Our guide to getting around Pico covers the buses, the taxis and the ferry ports.

Azores Airlines flies to Pico from Lisbon. The route is a public service obligation, which means the state sets minimum frequencies and the airline has to fly it all year. In June 2026, the citizens' group that campaigns for Pico's airport said the route had six flights a week and asked for a daily service, arguing that demand outran the seats.

For summer 2026 Azores Airlines added one extra weekly flight on the route, on Fridays, from 19 June. The airline's summer season ran from 29 March to 31 October 2026, so expect fewer flights from November.

You may also find these flights sold with a TAP flight number. Azores routes sold by TAP are often flown by Azores Airlines on a codeshare, so look at the "operated by" line when you book, and check in with the airline that flies the plane.

The neighbouring island of Faial has its own airport, Horta, and Lisbon to Faial is also a public service route flown by Azores Airlines. For summer 2026 it gained an extra weekly flight on Sundays from 21 June. When the Pico flight is full or badly timed, flying to Horta is the usual way round it.

From Horta harbour, Atlânticoline's Linha Azul crosses to Madalena in about 30 minutes. The adult fare for visitors was 8.20 euros one way in 2026, according to a fare list updated on 1 August 2026. In the winter of 2026/27 the line runs four return crossings a day, and in summer there are more. Check the current timetable on Atlânticoline's site against your flight before you book, or you may spend an evening waiting in Horta.

The channel can be rough in winter and crossings are sometimes cancelled. If your flight home leaves from Horta, cross the day before rather than on the morning of the flight.

If you are coming from elsewhere in Europe or from North America, you will usually connect through Ponta Delgada on São Miguel, or sometimes through Terceira, and then fly on with SATA Air Açores, the inter-island airline. For summer 2026 it planned about 572 inter-island flights a week and added extra flights between Ponta Delgada and Pico from June to September, after the route was heavily booked in 2025.

The connection is not always daily. In June 2026 the same Pico airport group asked for a daily Ponta Delgada to Pico flight to become a public service route and for the daily Terceira to Pico flight to be kept in winter. On some days of the week, especially outside summer, the hop you need may not exist. Book the inter-island leg on the same ticket as your long-haul flight if you can, so the airline has to rebook you when the first flight is late.

The cheapest way into São Miguel has also changed. Ryanair cancelled all of its Azores routes from 29 March 2026, so older advice about flying low-cost to Ponta Delgada and hopping on to Pico is out of date.

The 61-euro "Azores Fare" between islands is only for people with tax residence in the Azores. Visitors pay normal fares, which vary by date.

If you combine Pico with São Jorge, Atlânticoline's Linha Verde links São Jorge, Pico and Faial by sea all year. In the winter of 2026/27 it runs two return crossings a day on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and one on the other days. It is a way to arrive or leave without flying to Pico at all, but it depends on the sea.

From May to September, try the direct Lisbon flight first and book early, because the seats are the scarce part of a Pico trip. If it is full, fly to Horta and take the boat, which adds an hour or two.

From November to March, there are fewer flights and the sea is rougher. A direct flight in either direction is worth paying for, and if you route through Horta, keep a spare day before your flight home.

From the rest of Europe, compare a connection in Lisbon with one in Ponta Delgada. Lisbon often gives you the direct flight to Pico; Ponta Delgada gives you a day on São Miguel if you want it.

Is there a direct flight from Lisbon to Pico?

Yes. Azores Airlines flies Lisbon to Pico as a public service route, about six times a week in June 2026, with an extra Friday flight from 19 June 2026.

Is it easier to fly to Faial and take the ferry?

Often, yes, when the Pico flight is full. The Linha Azul ferry from Horta to Madalena takes about 30 minutes and cost 8.20 euros one way for a visitor in 2026.

Does Ryanair fly to Pico?

No. Ryanair cancelled all of its Azores routes from 29 March 2026.

How far is Pico Airport from Madalena?

About 8 kilometres. Most visitors go on by hire car or taxi.

• Pico aerodrome, Portuguese AIP (AD 2 LPPI)
• SATA summer operation 2026, Azores Airlines
• More flights between the mainland and Terceira, Pico and Faial from June, Azores Airlines
• Pico airport group calls for more flights, The Portugal News
• Atlânticoline winter 2026/27, Cais do Pico
• Atlânticoline fares and timetables, byAçores
• Ryanair to cancel all Azores flights from March 2026, Ryanair
• Pico Airport car hire, Hertz