Near the Portuguese town of Santa Cruz is one of the most unusual air harbors on our planet - Funchal Airport. Madeira and Santa Catarina are other better known names. It became operational on July 8, 1964 and is currently owned by the state-owned ANA. On average, it handles just over two million passengers annually. This terminal is neither the busiest nor the most comfortable in Europe. Its uniqueness lies in its "suspended" runway, which is one of the most unique in the world.
Difficulty landing
Because of its short runways (1600 meters each) for a long time Madeira Airport (Portugal) was considered very difficult even for experienced pilots. Moreover, the situation was aggravated by climatic conditions, because strong turbulent flows arose when the dry mountain and wet sea winds mixed. Before landing, the airliner had to be directed to the mountains, and at the very last moment - to change the direction of the flight and turn into the runway.
Tragedy
Many tourists preferred to travel through these air gates because of the cheapness. The fact is that the cost of tickets for flights that followed to other airports in Portugal was much higher. Be that as it may, the operation of the terminal in such extreme conditions could not but end tragically. On November 19, 1977, the Boeing 727 liner, which was flying from Brussels, did not stop within the runway due to heavy rain with wind and poor visibility and crashed from a height of 70 meters into a cliff. The disaster resulted in the death of 131 people.
Reconstruction
After the tragedy, no one had any doubts that Madeira Airport, or rather its runway, needed to be urgently reconstructed. Improvement work began immediately. They lasted about eight years. The designers made a bold decision to increase its length at the expense of the beach. As a result of the modernization, the air harbor received a runway, the total length of which was 2777 meters. Its main part is located on the ground, and the rest - on 180 reinforced concrete pillars, each of which has a diameter of three meters. The height of some of these pillars above sea level reaches 50 meters. Since that time, Madeira Airport has not only become much safer. Thanks to this revolutionary solution, its throughput has increased. In other words, many more aircraft are now taking off and landing here.
How to get there
Madeira Airport is located 24 kilometers from Funchal, the main city on the island. The easiest and cheapest way to get there is the Aerobus, which runs every 30 minutes. It takes the same amount of time to get to the center. The ticket price here is 5 euros. Due to the fact that the region is touristic, there will be no problems with ordering a transfer directly to the hotel. Do not forget about a taxi - the most comfortable option. For this pleasure, you will have to pay about 30 euros, and the travel time will be no more than 20 minutes.
Some Features
The airport, although not large, is clean and comfortable, so it is very pleasant to be here. There is only one terminal and several check-in desks. Like many other airports, there are many shops, cafes and restaurants on its territory. Local prices are not too high, so visitors will be pleased. Along with this, one cannot fail to note the fact that the Portuguese are very slow people, so you can wait in line here for quite a long time. Among other things, Madeira Airport is one of the few air harbors in the world that can boast of having a balcony. At the same time, anyone can watch the planes from it, regardless of whether he has a ticket or not.
Awards
A unique runway extension project was recognized by the International Association of Buildings, Bridges andstructures. As a result - in 2004 the airport became the winner in the nomination "The most outstanding building structure". It should be noted that in Portugal this award is considered to be a kind of "Oscar" in the field of structures. Be that as it may, the main achievement that Madeira boasts is flight safety.
