Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport (FNC), otherwise known by names such as Funchal Airport, Madeira Airport, and Santa Catarina Airport, is the gateway to the sunny hotspot of Madeira, Portugal. The facility serves millions of passengers each year, but it is well-documented as being the home of some of the most dramatic approaches in the world. But what causes this phenomenon? Let's find out!
Harsh winds
Madeira is an archipelago found in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is nearly 400 km (250 miles) north of the Canaries and 520 km (320 miles) west of Morocco, making it subject to several climate systems. The History Channel's Most Extreme Airports dubbed it the world's ninth most dangerous airport, and the third most dangerous in Europe. In fact, crews have to take on extra training to land there.
As seen above, a TAP Air Portugal pilot was applauded last in April 2022 for showing fantastic skills to overcome crosswinds landing at the airport. In dramatic footage, the Airbus A321neo can be seen crabbing during its approach into Funchal Airport. Such scenes at the airport are not exactly infrequent, as its mountainous setting in the Atlantic sees it witness plenty of strong winds and mountain waves.
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The weather on the day can be unpredictable due to the battling conditions, and pilots are often forced to divert to the Canary Islands if the situation is too risky. A notable example of this unfolded last month, involving a TUI Boeing 737 flying into Madeira from Manchester, whose journey took 60 hours following repeated water diversions. Unfortunately, accidents have still occurred over the years.
A fatal crash prompted changes
Funchal Airport's reputation for being a challenging facility to approach and safely make a landing at has been with it since the beginning. The airport opened in 1964, and, just 13 years later, 1977 saw play host to what was, at the time, Portugal's deadliest-ever air crash. The accident, which occurred on November 19th of that year, involved a Boeing 727 operating TAP Air Portugal flight 425.
According to the Aviation Safety Network, the narrowbody trijet had 164 occupants (with this figure comprising 156 passengers and eight crew members) onboard, and was flying to the island from Brussels, Belgium via Lisbon, Portugal. Amid wet weather conditions, the 727 touched down 2,000 feet (610 meters) beyond the runway threshold. This, combined with aquaplaning, left insufficient space to stop.
Windy Conditions Prompt Multiple Madeira-Bound Flights To Divert To The Canary Islands
The strong winds reached an estimated speed of 66 km/h.This caused the packed three-engine aircraft to overrun what was, at the time, a relatively short runway. This subsequently prompted it to then career off the end of the strip, after which it plunged downwards almost vertically onto a beach, where it broke apart and caught fire. Tragically, of the 164 occupants onboard the flight, 131 died. TAP made changes going forward by flying smaller 727s to Madeira.
In terms of changes made by the airport, in response to this tragedy, its runway was extended by another 200 meters (656 feet) to a total of 1,800 meters (5,906 feet) in the 1980s. Then, at the turn of the new millennium, a second expansion saw its length be extended to 2,781 meters (9,124 feet). The extension was built on a platform and is partly over the Atlantic, adding to its spectacular architecture.
Madeira Airport has been classified as a Category C facility, which means that it is considered to pose certain problems during procedures including the likes of approaches, landing, or takeoff. Subsequently, pilots are required to undergo specific simulator training, and sit in the jump seat for takeoff and landings before performing services to Funchal. This ensures that they are properly prepared.
Ground support
The extended section of Madeira Airport's runway sits 70 meters (230 feet) above the autonomous region's coastline, and it is spectacularly supported by a grand total of 180 pillars. As airline crews approach the unique structure, unforgiving variable Atlantic winds make it a tough job for them to operate at the airport. Simple Flying took a closer look at the story of the runway extensions last year.
Despite the tough conditions, the airport has repeatedly been praised for its impressive architectural feats in the modern age. Arguably the most notable instance of this happening was when it won the Outstanding Structure Award from the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering in 2004. As such, the sturdy offering will undoubtedly reassure travelers following a shaky landing.
The airport today
Funchal's passenger numbers in 2022 exceeded four million, and, while the island is popular with tourists, it has a significant amount of year-round traffic that nicely complements its seasonal services. As alluded to earlier, the facility has been named after Cristiano Ronaldo since 2017, making it one of two European airports to bear a footballer's name (the other being George Best Belfast City).
In terms of its prospects this year, data made available by Cirium, an aviation analytics company, shows that just over five million seats are scheduled on flights to and from Madeira this year. These are spread across more than 28,000 flights, with easyJet (1.3 million seats on just under 7,000 flights) and TAP Airport Portugal (1.1 million seats on just over 6,500 flights) having the largest presence.
What are your thoughts about the challenges of landing at Funchal Airport in Madeira? Have you ever flown to this facility? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comment section.