Madeira Airport (FNC), also known informally as Funchal Airport and formally as the Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport, is the only airport serving the Portuguese island of Madeira. It is located in a difficult area, surrounded by mountains and the sea, making both the flying approach and airport construction difficult. There have been two major runway extensions, though, as airport use has increased - the most recent involving an impressive bridge-based extension.

The original short runway

Madeira/Funchal Airport opened in 1964, with just one runway (05/23 as it remains today) with a length of 1,600 meters (5,249 feet). Tourism was expanding on the island, and the airport was seen as vital to support this.

The landing at the airport at this time was considered one of the most challenging in Europe. It remains difficult today with changeable weather and wind conditions, but with the short runway, it was even more so.

The approach for runway 05, in particular, requires a tight turn due to surrounding mountains and a short final approach.

There is also no ILS available, so only visual landings (there is ILS available for landings on runway 23 if conditions allow). The short runway had sea cliffs at either end.

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The first extension in 1986

The decision was made in the late 1970s to extend the runway. This was driven by the increase in tourism, and thus air traffic, to the island. A longer runway would allow larger aircraft to land. It would also be safer.

In November 1977, there was a devastating crash of a Boeing 727 aircraft operating a TAP Air Portugal flight from Brussels and Lisbon to Madeira. The aircraft landed in poor weather (strong winds, rain, and low visibility), making two missed approaches before attempting a final third approach.

The aircraft touched down, but over 600 meters (1,970 feet) along the runway. In the wet condition, it hydroplaned, and the pilots were unable to stop the aircraft before the end of the runway. It overshot the runway and fell over the cliffs onto the beach below. Of the 156 passengers and eight crew onboard, 131 were killed.

Work on runway extension began in 1982 and was completed in February 1986. This extended the single runway to 1,800 meters (5,906 feet).

The second extension in 2002

Continued growth in tourism since the extended runway opened in the 1980s meant a further extension was soon considered. This time it was much harder. All available land had been used, so the runway would need to be extended over the sea. Landfill from the shoreline was not possible, and engineers instead opted to build the extension on a platform.

This time the runway was extended to 2,781 meters (9,124 feet), with construction taking place from 2000 to 2002. This extension was achieved by building a bridge 57 meters (187 feet ) above the water, supported by a structure of 180 pillars.

This bridge, 180 meters wide and just over a kilometer long, was sufficiently strengthened to carry the runway. The impressive design won an "Outstanding Structure Award" in 2004 from the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering.

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Runway and airport improvements in 2016

Madeira Airport underwent an extensive renovation and upgrade program in 2016. The runway was not extended as part of this, but it was further strengthened. The airport apron and taxiways were redesigned, increasing the airport's usable area by 1,500 square meters.

The other part of this upgrade focussed on the terminal and airport facilities. This was the first major expansion since the airport opened. The terminal was extended with a new commercial area and larger passenger screening and waiting areas. The airport claims with the new facilities, and it can process up to 1,400 passengers per hour, up from 720 passengers.

Remains a challenge

Funchal is still a Category C airport. This means that there is a likelihood of certain issues during procedures such as takeoff, landing, and approaches. Other European Category C airports include Gibraltar, London City Airport, Chambéry, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Sion, and Santorini.

As a result, flight crews have to undertake particular simulator training and sit in the flight deck's jumpseat for takeoff and landings in order to be ready to perform flights to FNC.

Still, Funchal remains a popular destination for tourism. Over four million passengers passed through last year. Madeira is also home to footballing legend Cristiano Ronaldo, which the airport is named after. Despite the tricky operations, FNC will remain a passenger hotspot throughout the decade.

Have you flown into Madeira Airport? Do you recall the approach and the runway? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments.