Legendary Airport · Portugal
Madeira: The Runway Built on Stilts
Park your car at Madeira airport and you might find yourself directly underneath the runway. Above the car park, the concrete ceiling is a runway, and aircraft land on it. Madeira solved a problem every island airport faces, a shortage of flat land, by building the runway out over the shore on giant stilts.
Madeira is a steep volcanic Portuguese island in the Atlantic. Its airport near the town of Santa Cruz is squeezed between mountains and the sea. For years the runway was considered short for the aircraft flying in, and there was simply no flat ground left to extend it onto.
180 columns, 70 metres tall
The answer, completed on 15 September 2000, was to extend the runway on a huge platform held up by 180 concrete columns, each about 70 metres tall. That’s roughly the height of a 20-storey building. The work took the runway to about 2,781 metres (9,124 feet), long enough for larger aircraft to land safely with more margin. The space underneath wasn’t wasted either: it’s used for parking and other facilities.
The real numbers
The extension in numbers
180
Columns
Supporting the runway platform
~70m
Column height
Roughly a 20-storey building
2,781m
Runway length
About 9,124 feet
2000
Completed
Opened on 15 September 2000
The real challenge is the wind
Even with a longer runway, Madeira remains one of Europe’s trickier airports, because of wind rather than length. Air flowing over the island’s mountains and off the Atlantic creates gusts and wind shear, sudden changes in wind speed or direction over a short distance. On approach that can push an aircraft up, down or sideways at exactly the moment the pilot wants it steady.
For that reason, pilots flying into Madeira are expected to have extra, airport-specific training, and airlines set strict wind limits. When the wind is too strong, flights wait, divert to nearby Porto Santo or further afield, or turn back. Passengers sometimes watch from the window as their aircraft makes a go-around and tries again, which is the system working as intended.
A footballer’s airport
Since 2017, the airport has carried the name of Madeira’s most famous son: it is officially Madeira International Airport Cristiano Ronaldo. The renaming came with a bust of the footballer in the terminal, which became famous in its own right. For most visitors, though, the lasting memory is the approach along the coast, with the cliffs on one side and the sea on the other.
Sources & Further Reading
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Madeira airport considered difficult?
Strong, gusty winds blow off the mountains and the ocean, causing wind shear and turbulence on approach. Pilots flying in are expected to complete extra specific training for the airport.
How long is the runway at Madeira?
About 2,781 metres (9,124 feet), after an extension completed on 15 September 2000 that was built partly over the sea on a platform.
What holds up Madeira’s runway extension?
A platform supported by 180 columns, each about 70 metres tall. The space underneath is used for parking and other facilities.
What is Madeira airport’s official name?
Madeira International Airport Cristiano Ronaldo, renamed in 2017 after the footballer, who was born on the island.
Are flights to Madeira often diverted?
When winds exceed safe limits, flights can be delayed, diverted to nearby Porto Santo or the Canary Islands, or return to their origin. It is worth allowing some flexibility in travel plans, especially in winter.