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With over 1,660 flights scheduled to land in Madeira in August alone, it’s clear that this magical island is having a moment.
Adrift in the Atlantic 400km north of the Canary Islands, the autonomous Portuguese archipelago offers a captivating mix of rich cultural heritage and breathtaking natural beauty.
From the ancient Laurissilva Forest and Madeira Peaks mountain ranges to the sun-soaked shores of the south coast, there are dozens of drawcards.
Direct flights from the UK are as little as £70 one-way, and after years in the tourism wilderness, travellers are finally starting to take note.
Madeira Airport – officially Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport – is expecting record-breaking air traffic this month, with 633 more scheduled flights than in 2019 — a whopping 61.58% increase.
The top airlines contributing to this growth are easyJet (25.81%), TAP (18.57%), and Ryanair (12.39%).
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Metro 'magic' five days in Madeira
Metro‘s Travel reporter Jessica Hamilton recently spent five days exploring Madeira, experiencing everything from stunning waterfalls and boat tours to volcanic rock adventures.
Describing the island as ‘magic,’ it’s no wonder airlines are rushing to lay on more routes.
Airport capacity is also peaking, with nearly a 21% increase compared to August 2024. According to a report on the Regional Government’s website, the airport is set to offer an additional 51,757 seats this summer.
Funchal, Madeira’s capital, is known for its stunning natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, and remains the most popular destination served by these airlines.
Ryanair is driving this growth by building on already popular flights from London Stansted, Porto, and Lisbon, with new routes from Milan Malpensa, Shannon and Edinburgh. These changes and additions are adding an extra 16,026 seats to Ryanair’s Madeira schedule this season.
Following behind them, easyJet is adding an extra 14,150 seats to its Madeira schedule this year. The increase comes from additional flights on existing routes from Porto, Lisbon, and Paris-CDG, as well as new connections to Nantes and Amsterdam.
TAP has introduced a new route between Faro and Funchal, along with increased flights from Porto and Lisbon. Together, these changes add an extra 4,406 seats.
Among these operational increases, TAP’s seasonal connection between Funchal and the Venezuelan capital of Caracas is making a return with weekly flights running from August 14 to October 16.
Norwegian Airlines will also resume its service between Oslo and Funchal on August 19.
However, not all routes are expanding. Madeira’s Air Transport Observatory has noted that Azores Airlines has discontinued international connections from JFK, Boston and Toronto.
Lufthansa has stopped direct flights from Munich to Funchal, and Iberia has axed routes from Seville and Santiago de Compostela.
It’s not just air travel that’s experiencing sweeping change. Madeira’s cruise tourism is also seeing a significant uptick.
The Port of Funchal is having a record-breaking quarter with a 19.64% increase in passenger traffic. The growth is estimated to have generated more than €22 million for the regional economy, according to Associação Comercial e Industrial do Funchal.
More alternative destinations to visit in 2025
- The Faroe Islands: I explored the ‘forgotten’ islands two hours from UK that most can’t find on a map
- Tbilisi, Georgia: Fascinating Georgia is Europe’s last hidden gem — I fell in love with it, and you will too
- Ningaloo, Australia: Forget the Great Barrier — I had the swim of a lifetime at Australia’s lesser-known reef
- Kirkenes, Arctic Norway: I spent 5 days on a Northern Lights cruise — every hellish obstacle was worth it
- Kazakhstan: I’m a picture editor — photos of this magnificent country don’t do it justice
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