Business Class Flights to Madeira, Portugal

Flights to Madeira arrive at one of two international airports serving the islands. Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport (FNC), formerly called Funchal International Airport, is the larger of the two. Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport is located in Madeira’s capital city, Funchal. Business class flights to Madeira from cities in Europe and North America usually arrive at this airport, which handles a little more than 4 million passengers each year. Cheap flights to Madeira can booked to arrive at Cristiano Ronaldo Airport on one of the low-cost airlines that maintain operations there. These include Ryanair, Jet2 airlines, easyJet airlines, and Eurowings, among a few others. There are also plenty of direct flights to Madeira, including from such destinations like New York City.

Some flights to Madeira arrive at the region’s smaller and older airport, Porto Santo International Airport (PXO), located on the island of Porto Santo. The airport is situated in Porto Santo’s capital city, Vila Baleira. About 175,000 travelers fly to Madeira via Porto Santo International Airport each year. The airport is home to the operations of a handful of airlines including TAP Air Portugal, easyJet, and TUI Airways. Flights to Madeira that arrive in Porto Santo generally originate in just a few European cities including London, Lisbon, and Bergamo, Italy.

The majority of passengers who book tickets to Madeira, who don’t actually live on one of its islands, are vacationers. Madeira’s beaches, mountains, and sub-tropical climate attract tourists year-round, especially during the winter months. For many, it’s a peaceful, beautiful, and refreshing respite from the cold everywhere else.

While the islands’ collective economy is based on tourism, some of the people who fly to Madeira are business travelers. The Madeira International Business Center, located on the island of Madeira in the town of Machico, is an international free trade zone that offers tax benefits to businesses that establish offices there.

In addition to the region’s beach resorts, visitors to Madeira also enjoy excursions that allow them to view the islands’ wildlife, including whale watches, as many species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises spend the winter months in the waters surrounding the islands. Hiking across rocky beaches and misty shores is popular, offering up a healthy serving of adventure to tourists looking to get away from it all. Visitors also enjoy surfing, swimming, riding cable cars, and taking boat rides around Madeira.

Madeira is also known for its cuisine, especially its high-quality seafood, sweet pastries, and Madeira wine, a type of fortified wine similar to the port wine made in Porto, Portugal. Espetada, a chunk of beef marinated in garlic and bay leaves, is also a popular dish. These metal skewers are grilled and hung from a contraption for diners. Though meaty, it’s also a lighter meal that won’t deter guests from continuing their adventures afterward.

Folk music and folk dancing, called Bailinho da Madeira, are also an important part of Madeira’s culture. For tourists curious about booking flights to Madeira, they should take note that because it’s a collection of islands, climate and environment can vary. There are deserts and tropical forests, beaches and pleasant inlets. The islands that make up Madeira are varied and distinct, offering plenty of adventure to travelers across the globe.