Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport guide

Madeira International Airport Cristiano Ronaldo opened on 8 July 1964 in Santa Cruz, on the island's south coast. Its single runway is a landmark of civil engineering: a tabletop extension built on a platform supported by around 180 concrete columns roughly 70 metres tall, partly over the Atlantic, which earned the Outstanding Structure Award in 2004. Steep drop-offs at both ends and frequent crosswinds mean pilots must complete additional training before landing here, and aviation writers regularly list it among the world's more demanding approaches.

The airport was renamed after footballer and Madeira native Cristiano Ronaldo in 2017, following Portugal's Euro 2016 win, with a bronze bust unveiled at the ceremony. ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal, part of the Vinci Airports group, operates the facility under a long-term concession, running it as a single-terminal airport.

Traffic has grown quickly in recent years: Madeira Airport handled about 5.4 million passengers in 2025, up 12.2% on 2024. TAP Air Portugal treats it as a focus city and Ryanair bases aircraft here. It is Portugal's fourth-busiest airport, behind Lisbon, Porto and Faro.