Additional flights scheduled to compensate for prior cancelations
Madeira International Airport has been experiencing a series of flight cancellations and changes over the past few weeks, primarily due to two main factors: strong winds in the eastern part of the island and ongoing airport staff strikes affecting ground operations.
The strong winds, reaching up to 72 km/h in Santa Cruz, have led to multiple flight diversions and cancellations. Five planes were diverted to other airports including Las Palmas, Porto Santo, and the Algarve due to the inability to land safely.
Across Portugal, including Madeira, airport staff strikes have been occurring on weekends throughout August 2025. These strikes involve aircraft servicing, baggage handling, and check-in teams protesting low pay and labor disputes following a takeover by Menzies Aviation. The strikes have caused delays, cancellations, and operational chaos during the peak summer travel period.
TAP Air Portugal, one of the airlines operating from Madeira Airport, has been affected by these disruptions and strikes. However, specific measures by TAP in response to these issues were not detailed in the search results.
Passengers are advised to check their flight status prior to travel and expect continued weekend disruptions through the rest of August 2025. The cancellations and diversions on Sunday affected both arrivals and departures at Madeira International Airport. It's important to note that these cancellations and diversions did not involve any protected passengers from the easyJet cancellations.
In summary:
| Cause | Effect on Madeira Airport | |-------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | Strong winds | Flight cancellations, diversions, and delays | | Airport staff strikes | Delays, cancellations, disrupted baggage handling, operational chaos|
| TAP Air Portugal Response | Impacted by disruptions, affected by strikes, no specific response details provided |
Despite the challenges, TAP has taken steps to respond to the retained traffic. They have added a total of 858 seats in each direction of travel and changed some flights scheduled on E195 aircraft to A321neo, others on A320 to A321ceo, and one on A330-200 to A330-900, adding a total of 368 seats in each direction of travel. Two extra flights were created on Tuesday morning, one with 269 seats and the other with 221, but these were not a direct result of the cancellations and diversions on Sunday.
The total number of flights cancelled at Madeira International Airport from June 30 is over 100, and on Sunday alone, more than 30 flights were cancelled. The number of flights diverted to other airports on Sunday from Madeira International Airport is 15. However, these cancellations and diversions have not been specifically linked to TAP's recent changes in flight schedules or aircraft types.
As the situation continues to evolve, passengers are encouraged to stay informed and plan accordingly to ensure a smooth travel experience.
The airport staff strikes over pay and labor disputes in Portugal, particularly impacting Madeira Airport, have prolonged the operational chaos, leading to further cancellations and delays in the peak summer travel period. The strong winds in Santa Cruz, reaching up to 72 km/h, have also contributed to the lifestyle disruptions for travelers, causing multiple flight diversions, cancellations, and delays.
