Be interesting to hear from anyone seeing this put in place.
Increasing the number of flights and using aircraft with “significantly greater capacity” are two solutions that are being prepared by airlines, in conjunction with the Regional Government and the Government of the Republic, in order to normalise traffic affected in recent days by strong winds at Madeira Airport and allow the thousands of stranded passengers to reach their destinations in time for Christmas. It was the Regional Secretary for Tourism, Eduardo Jesus, who revealed the steps that have been taken and the strategy that is being followed.
The Madeiran government official stated that “the constraints felt at Madeira Airport prompted ongoing contacts from the outset, which were made throughout the day, at various levels”. Contacts were made with the State Secretariat for Infrastructure to study alternatives and to try to make it possible to carry out other flights in addition to those that were scheduled. These flights took place as soon as the wind allowed. In this way, the aim is to ensure that people who were restricted in their movement can continue their journeys, whether to come to Madeira or to leave Madeira for different parts of Portugal and the world.
The Regional Government services were also in contact with the airlines, and solutions were found, such as the use of aircraft with greater capacity to transport all the people who were restricted in their travel. They also sought to ensure coordination and communication between airlines, so that “one could support the other, that is, to ensure that passenger protection was carried out in the most effective way possible”.
Eduardo Jesus believes that the situation is now heading towards normalisation: “This is a situation that lasted several hours. During those hours, it allowed us to study, plan and implement processes that were the solution at this time and, above all, aiming for the least possible constraint and ensuring that people can make their journeys in time for Christmas, minimising the inconvenience caused by the wind”.