Madeira International Airport

History and character

Madeira Airport opened in 1964 with a runway of about 1,600 metres, a major change for an island that had long depended on sea connections. However, the airport was built in an exceptionally constrained setting: mountains rise close behind it, while the Atlantic Ocean lies directly in front of the runway. The short original runway limited operations and left little room for error in difficult weather. A first extension of around 200 metres was completed in the 1980s, bringing the runway to about 1,800 metres, but Madeira still needed a larger solution for modern commercial aviation and growing tourism. The limitations of the old airport were tragically highlighted on 19 November 1977, when TAP Air Portugal Flight 425, a Boeing 727 arriving from Lisbon, overran the wet runway during landing. The aircraft had touched down well beyond its intended point and above the recommended speed; difficult weather and aquaplaning reduced braking effectiveness. The aircraft fell beyond the runway and 131 of the 164 people on board died. The accident did not have one single cause, but it underlined the risks created by a short runway, challenging weather and steep terrain. The decisive expansion opened in 2000. Because there was no flat land available, engineers extended the runway over the sea on a huge elevated structure supported by 180 reinforced-concrete pillars. The project brought the runway to about 2,781 metres and was designed for the loads of large aircraft such as the Boeing 747-400. It became one of Madeira’s most important modern engineering works and received the IABSE Outstanding Structure Award in 2004. In 2017, the airport was renamed Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira International Airport in honour of the footballer born in Funchal.

Why visit

• •Madeira’s main international airport, with the IATA code FNC
• •Opened in 1964 with an original runway of about 1,600 metres
• •The 1977 TAP Flight 425 disaster highlighted the operational limits of the old runway; 131 of 164 people on board died
• •An initial runway extension in the 1980s increased the length to around 1,800 metres
• •The major 2000 expansion extended the runway to about 2,781 metres
• •Part of the runway stands over the Atlantic on 180 reinforced-concrete pillars
• •The extension was designed to support large aircraft loads, including Boeing 747-400 operations
• •The project received the IABSE Outstanding Structure Award in 2004