I was relatively impressed with this diminutive facility. It is mainly a tourist airport that…read morebrings people to this beautiful, small Galician city that has so much to offer the traveler who wants to experience the culture of the region. It is about 13 km east of the city. SCQ served about 2.3 million passengers in 2015 making it the 2nd busiest airport in Northern Spain after Bilbao and the 16th busiest overall in Spain. For perspective, six airports in the country exceeded 10 million passengers in the same time period. It was one of four Spanish airports to experience double-digit growth in passenger traffic versus 2014. The facility does not rank in the busiest 100 in Europe. It is a focus airport for Ryan Air and Vueling. The presence of these carriers helps keep the fares at reasonable levels.
The terminal in current use was inaugurated in October 2011 replacing the 40-plus-year-old late Franco-era terminal (1969). This new terminal has a pleasant, modern look that creates a positive image on first impression. The architecture is consistent with the more recent airport designs that convey a bright, spacious feel with high, vaulted ceiling structures and plenty of glass used for the facade. There are 13 gates making it very manageable in size. Nine airlines (with their affiliates) use the facility by my count. Thirty or so European destinations can be reached directly from SCQ and there are plans for future expansion.
The fact that it is rather small by most measures creates advantages and disadvantages. One of the best upsides to this is navigability. The approach to the airport is rather facile as it is removed from most complicating traffic issues. The drop-off area is easy to use. The lobby creates a positive impression and the check-in areas are pleasant and well presented. My check-in experience was well managed and rather stress-free. There are also some interesting diversions. I particularly liked the model of the Cathedral in the far end of the check-in area. If you have time, make sure to take a look at it.
The services in the airport are also user-friendly for the most part. The security was hassle-free when I used it and was reasonably efficient. The passport control area is further back in the terminal for those boarding flights to the non-Schengen area. The kiosk is small but it seems to be adequate for the traffic they see. The baggage claim area has four carousels making it quite manageable. My experience was positive in that respect as my bag came out rather quickly.
The amenities in the gate area are modest in number but quite nice in appearance and quality. There is a food area where you can get anything from a coffee to a small meal. There are a couple of retail opportunities that also allowed one to pass time if they wished to do so.
The transportation connections to the city are a bit limited. There are no rail services to the airport. There is, however, a bus that comes around every half-hour and runs to city center. Taxis are available and the cost is not unreasonable. My fare was a flat rate (€21) and the ride was only about 15 minutes. In my case, I arrived a bit late in the evening and I had to wait for ten or fifteen minutes for a cab. I am not sure if this is a chronic problem but this may be one of the manifestations of the downside to a small airport.
Overall, I was favorably impressed with this airport as the manageability is a big plus. The services are reasonably good and the onward connection to the city of Santiago is decent. The facility itself is rather nice as the architecture is lovely creating a nice atmosphere. Of course, the best aspect about SCQ is the fact that it facilitates a visit to the beautiful city of Santiago.
