Sao Tome Airport (TMS): routes, runways and facilities for travellers

Sao Tome International Airport, the main gateway to Sao Tome and Principe, offers connections to six destinations, with Principe Island, Libreville and Lisbon the most frequent routes. The airport, coded TMS (ICAO: FPST), sits in Sao Tome at an elevation of 33 ft and operates on Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+00:00).

Key facts

• Airport: Sao Tome International, IATA TMS, ICAO FPST, in Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe
• Destinations served: 6
• Busiest routes (last 7 days): Principe Island 12 flights, Libreville 5, Lisbon 3
• Airlines named: STP Airways, Afrijet, TAP Air Portugal
• Time zone: Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+00:00)

Which routes does the airport serve?

The most frequent routes from Sao Tome are to Principe Island (PCP), Libreville (LBV) and Lisbon (LIS), operated by STP Airways, Afrijet and TAP Air Portugal.

Over the last seven days, the top routes by number of flights were Principe Island with 12 flights, Libreville with 5, Lisbon with 3, Luanda Dr Antonio Agostinho Neto with 3 and Accra Kotoka with 2. On the day captured on the airport's departures board, scheduled services ran to Libreville and Principe Island.

How punctual are flights?

Departure punctuality over the last seven days was recorded as 12 flights on time (0–15 minutes), 5 with minor delays (16–45 minutes) and 6 with major delays (46 minutes or more).

What are the airport's facilities and layout?

The airport has four runway designations, all with asphalt surfaces: 09L and 27R each measure 3,902 metres (12,802 ft), while 09R and 27L each measure 3,660 metres (12,008 ft).

The airport page carries one traveller review, dated 21 March 2022, which reported that Wi-Fi did not work before departure and described limited food and shopping options, with a single bar and one souvenir shop. The overall rating shown is 3.9 out of 5.

What this means for travellers

Travellers connecting between Sao Tome and the country's second island should note that Principe Island is the airport's busiest link, 163 km away. Those with onward international plans will find the most frequent external connections are to Libreville in Gabon and Lisbon in Portugal.

The nearest other airports listed are Principe Island (163 km), Annobon in Equatorial Guinea (233 km), Port-Gentil in Gabon (257 km), Libreville (300 km) and Bata in Equatorial Guinea (383 km).

Anyone passing through should plan for limited terminal facilities as described in the traveller review, and check current schedules directly before travel, since the flight listings captured here are a single day's snapshot.