Madeira airport wind outlook

Why Madeira's airport is different

The runway at Santa Cruz is squeezed between the mountains and the Atlantic. It is about 2.8 km long, and roughly a kilometre of that stands on 180 concrete columns above the sea and the coast road. The approach to runway 05 comes in over the water and turns late, with the terrain to the left and no straight-in guidance, which is why captains need a special qualification to land here.

Because of that, airlines fly to Funchal with wind limits well below the ones they use elsewhere. The exact figure varies by airline and aircraft, but many carriers set their limit between 15 and 25 kt across the runway including gusts, and some are stricter. A day that would be routine in Lisbon can therefore close Funchal to some flights and not others.

Two wind directions cause most of the trouble. A north-easterly trade wind spills over the ridge above the airport and breaks into turbulence and downdraughts on the final approach. A southerly or south-westerly flow, usually with a front, does the same from the other side and adds low cloud. In both cases crews fly the approach, find the wind out of limits at the last moment and go around; after a second try they usually divert.

What happens if your flight is diverted

Diverted flights go to Porto Santo (a 15-minute hop), to the Canary Islands (Tenerife, Gran Canaria or Lanzarote, about an hour) or back to Lisbon. Porto Santo is the airline's first choice when the wind is expected to ease, because the aircraft can wait there and try Funchal again.

From Porto Santo, the airline either flies you across once the wind drops or puts you on the Porto Santo Line ferry, which takes about two and a quarter hours to Funchal. From the Canaries or Lisbon you are usually rebooked on a later flight, sometimes the next day, and the airline arranges a hotel. Outbound flights are affected too: if the aircraft that should carry you home never lands, your departure is delayed or cancelled.

Under EU Regulation 261/2004 the airline must look after you during a long delay, with meals and, if needed, a hotel, whatever the cause; cash compensation is a separate matter and weather usually counts as an extraordinary circumstance, so check your airline's terms rather than assuming either way.

What to do on a windy day

• Check your airline's app or website before leaving for the airport: it shows the aircraft's position and any delay before the terminal boards do.
• A delay does not always move check-in: bag drop often closes on the original schedule, so turning up later, closer to the new departure time, can leave you unable to check a bag.
• Do not leave the airport until the airline has confirmed what happens next. Rebooking, vouchers and the ferry are all organised at the airline's desk.
• Keep your hotel's phone number handy. If you end up staying an extra night, the hotel you just left is the easiest place to get a room.
• The official arrivals board is the only reliable source for what has actually landed. Social media and flight trackers lag or guess.