Madeira (Funchal): visual landings and wind limits
What Portugal's official publication requires at Madeira: visual landings, wind limits by direction and crew experience.
Published 14 October 2026 · Last reviewed 14 October 2026 · 3 min read
Madeira's airport, at Funchal, has rules for arriving aircraft that are written into Portugal's official Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP).[1]
The runway and visual landings
The AIP lists one runway, 05/23, declared at 2,481 m by 45 m, at an elevation of 58 m (191 ft). It states that all landings are to be made in visual conditions.[1]
Wind limits
The AIP sets wind limits by the direction the wind comes from. For runway 05, for example, a wind from 300 to 010 degrees magnetic is limited to 15 knots, with gusts up to 25 knots. Other directions have their own limits.[1]
A claim made in 2023 that Madeira is the only airport with mandatory wind limits was rated imprecise by a fact check in Diário de Notícias da Madeira. It reported that the limits were first set in 1964, with a DC-3.[2]
Crew requirements
The AIP requires the captain to have at least 200 hours as captain and to have operated at Madeira within the last six months. The operator must also set up and complete a training programme for the aircraft type before flying there.[1]
Sources
- AIP Portugal, AD 2 LPMA Madeira. NAV Portugal. Fetched 14 October 2026.
- Aeroporto da Madeira é o único no mundo com limites de vento obrigatórios? (fact check). Diário de Notícias da Madeira. Fetched 14 October 2026.