Madeira Airport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport Aeroporto Internacional da Madeira Cristiano Ronaldo
IATA: FNC ICAO: LPMA (previously LPFU)
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Vinci Group
Operator	ANA Aeroportos de Portugal
Serves	Madeira, Portugal
Location	Santa Cruz
Opened	7 July 1964; 60 years ago (1964-07-07)
Focus city for	Ryanair TAP Air Portugal
Elevation AMSL	58 m / 190 ft
Coordinates	32°41′39″N 16°46′41″W / 32.69417°N 16.77806°W / 32.69417; -16.77806
Website	aeroportomadeira.pt
Map
LPMA Location in Madeira
Runway
Runway Length Surface m ft 05/23 2,781 9,124 Asphalt
Statistics (2022)
Passengers 4,094,000 Passengers change 21-22 200% Aircraft movements 30,765 Movements change 21-22 66%
Source: VINCI Airports[1], Press release, VINCI Airports – 2022 traffic levels, Nanterre, 12 January 2023.

Madeira Airport (Portuguese: Aeroporto da Madeira), also known as Funchal Airport (Aeroporto do Funchal), is an important international airport in Madeira, Portugal. Its official name is Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport. It is located in Santa Cruz, about 13.2 kilometers (8.2 miles) east of Funchal, the capital city of Madeira.

This airport is a key hub for flights to and from Europe, especially for tourists visiting Madeira. It also helps move goods in and out of the island. It is the fourth busiest airport in Portugal. The airport is named after the famous football player Cristiano Ronaldo, who was born in Madeira.

Madeira Airport is known for being one of the most challenging airports for pilots to land at. This is because of its unique location and how its runway was built. In 2004, it won the Outstanding Structure Award for its amazing runway design. Some TV shows have even called it one of the most difficult airports in the world. Because of these challenges, pilots need special training to land safely at this airport.

Geography and Location

Madeira Airport has a very unusual location. It sits on a piece of land that sticks out into the sea. At one end of the runway (Runway 05), there are hills and cliffs. This means planes cannot use a special system called ILS to land directly. Instead, pilots have to fly around the airport and make a big turn (about 180 degrees) to line up with the runway. This is called a "visual approach."

The airport's runway, known as 05/23, is a tabletop runway. This means it has steep drop-offs at both ends. At the start of Runway 05, the ground drops sharply near a motorway. At the start of Runway 23, it drops off a cliff. What makes the runway even more special is that part of it is built on a platform supported by 180 tall pillars, like a beam bridge, extending over the ocean.

History of the Airport

Madeira airport as seen in 1990, before its runway was extended

Madeira Airport first opened on July 7, 1964. Back then, it had only one runway that was 1,600 meters (about 5,250 feet) long. The very first plane to land was a TAP Air Portugal Lockheed Constellation carrying 80 passengers.

As more people wanted to visit Madeira in the 1970s, the airport needed to grow. The runway was extended to 1,800 meters (about 5,900 feet) to allow bigger planes to land. This extension was finished on February 1, 1986. A new airport building (terminal) was also built in 1973, which could handle 500,000 passengers.

The demand for tourism kept growing, so the runway was extended even more. In 2002, the runway became 2,781 meters (about 9,124 feet) long. To celebrate this, a large Boeing 747-200 plane landed at the airport. This was a rare and exciting event!

Airport Renamed After Cristiano Ronaldo

In 2016, it was announced that the airport would be renamed "Madeira International Airport Cristiano Ronaldo." This was done to honor the famous football player Cristiano Ronaldo, who is from Madeira. The new name was officially revealed on March 29, 2017. A statue (called a bust) of Ronaldo was also shown at the ceremony.

Not everyone agreed with the name change or the first statue. The statue, in particular, was talked about a lot in the media. However, a new and improved statue was later made and shown to the public in 2018.

Airport Facilities

Partial view of the airport's main building

Main check-in desks hall

Airport tower

Supporting pillars under the airport runway extension

Runway Design

The airport was once famous for its very short runway, which was only 1,600 meters (about 5,250 feet) long. With high mountains on one side and the ocean on the other, landing here was very difficult, even for experienced pilots. Because planes had to make a sharp turn to land, some people called it the "Kai Tak Airport of Europe." This was a reference to an old airport in Hong Kong that also required a tricky turn before landing.

Between 1982 and 1986, the runway was extended by 200 meters (about 656 feet), making it 1,800 meters (about 5,900 feet) long. In 2000, it was extended again to 2,781 meters (about 9,124 feet). Since there wasn't enough land, this extension was built on a special platform partly over the ocean. This platform is supported by 180 columns, each about 70 meters (230 feet) tall. This amazing engineering solution helped the airport win the Outstanding Structure Award in 2004.

Terminal Building

The airport has one main terminal building, which opened in 1973. Inside, you'll find 40 check-in desks, 16 gates for boarding planes, and 7 baggage belts. There are no air-bridges, so passengers either walk a short distance to their plane or take a shuttle bus. Much of the terminal building is actually underground.

Modern Improvements

In 2016, Madeira Airport went through a big upgrade and renovation. This project cost €11 million and was done by the airport's operator, ANA Aeroportos de Portugal. The improved terminal opened in June 2016.

The renovation made the airport much better and added new shopping areas. This doubled the airport's ability to handle passengers. Now, the airport can handle up to 1,400 passengers every hour. The new design also made it easier to add new shops and brands.

The security area was made much larger, going from 650 square meters (7,000 sq ft) to 1,500 square meters (16,000 sq ft). This allowed for more security lines. The waiting area for passengers also became bigger. The new layout helps separate passengers traveling within the Schengen Area (which Madeira is part of) from those traveling outside it. This makes the passenger experience smoother. A new transfer hall and three new departure gates were also added. The project also included making the runway and taxiways stronger and smoother.

Airlines and Destinations

Passenger Flights

Many airlines fly to Madeira Airport, connecting the island to various cities around the world. Here are some of the airlines and their destinations:

Cargo Flights

Cargo flights help transport goods to and from Madeira.

Airport Statistics

Busiest routes from Madeira Airport (2019)

Rank	City, airport	Passengers	% change	Top carriers
1	Lisbon	1,009,847	1.6%	easyJet, TAP Air Portugal
2	Porto	354,823	5.5%	easyJet, TAP Air Portugal
3	London-Gatwick	260,972	0.2%	easyJet, TUI Airways
4	Manchester	102,723	16.8%	easyJet, Jet2.com, TUI Airways
5	Frankfurt	95,355	22.6%	Condor, Lufthansa, TUI fly Deutschland
6	Amsterdam	84,511	2.6%	Corendon Airlines, Transavia, TUI fly Netherlands
7	Düsseldorf	79,713	25.2%	Condor, TUI fly Deutschland
8	Paris-Orly	79,399	5.4%	Transavia
9	Munich	61,975	20.8%	Condor, Lufthansa, TUI fly Deutschland
10	London–Stansted	60,524	40%	Jet2.com

Safety and Past Events

Over the years, there have been a few incidents involving aircraft at Madeira Airport. These events, particularly in the 1970s, led to important safety improvements and the significant extensions of the runway. These changes made the airport much safer for all flights.

• On March 5, 1973, an Aviaco Sud Caravelle plane crashed into the sea while trying to land.
• On November 19, 1977, TAP Air Portugal Flight 425, a Boeing 727-200, had an accident during landing in bad weather. The plane went off the runway and caught fire.
• On December 18, 1977, SA de Transport Aérien Flight 730, a Sud Caravelle plane, crashed into the sea during its approach.
• On September 11, 2003, a Beechcraft aircraft crashed into the sea shortly after taking off from the airport.

See also

In Spanish: Aeropuerto de Madeira para niños