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Madeira Airport (FNC)

Aeroporto Internacional da Madeira Cristiano Ronaldo

Madeira Airport, officially Aeroporto Internacional da Madeira Cristiano Ronaldo, sits at Santa Cruz on the south-east coast, about 20 minutes' drive from central Funchal. It opened in 1964, has one terminal and a runway of 2,781 m, and handled 5.4 million passengers in 2025, a record and 12.2% up on the year before. Twenty-six regular airlines link it with 65 destinations in 24 countries. What is worth knowing is how the Aerobus and the taxi meter work, how small the lounge is and how long the border now takes.

The 30-second version

Madeira has one terminal. Arriving from the UK or anywhere else outside Schengen, you clear passport control under the EU's Entry/Exit System, then walk out to the arrivals kerb: the Aerobus leaves from the '01 - Aeroporto' stop between 08:30 and 22:00 for Funchal's seafront and the Lido, €6.70 on board or €5.55 on a GIRO card, and a taxi on the meter comes to about €30 to central Funchal by day. Flying home, TAP opens its desks two hours before departure and closes them 45 minutes before; give passport control extra time on a UK flight. The one lounge, the ANA Lounge on Level 3, opens from 07:00 to 22:00, takes about 40 people and lets in anyone who pays.

Central Funchal by car
About 20 minutes, 18.5 km off-peak
Passengers
5.4 million in 2025 (ANA, via the regional statistics office)
Terminals
One; departures and the airside shops on Level 3
Airlines
26 regular airlines, 65 destinations in 24 countries
Aerobus to Avenida do Mar
24 minutes; €6.70 on board, €5.55 prepaid
Taxi to central Funchal
About €30 on the daytime meter
Lounge
ANA Lounge, Level 3, 07:00 to 22:00
Nearest of our hotels
Sentido Galomar, 12 minutes by car

Book a private transfer

Booked with

A driver meets you in arrivals with your name on a sign, at a fixed price agreed when you book. Booked and paid with Welcome Pickups through our partner Travelpayouts; we may earn a commission.

Terminals

Terminal

Every flight: 26 regular airlines, among them TAP, easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2.com, Brussels Airlines and United's service from New York (Newark)

One terminal. Arrivals, passport control and the baggage hall lead out to the arrivals kerb and the '01 - Aeroporto' bus stop, where the Aerobus leaves. Check-in, with self bag drop, and the Go To café are in the public area; the restricted departures area on Level 3 holds the shops, the cafés and bars and the ANA Lounge. ANA has recently enlarged check-in, self bag drop and security screening, remodelled the boarding gates and reworked the border area for the Entry/Exit System.

Landing to kerb

Every pick-up point, terminal by terminal

  1. Passport control, if you come from outside Schengen

    Madeira is part of Portugal and the Schengen area, so flights from the UK and other non-Schengen countries go through passport control; ANA reworked the border area for the EU's Entry/Exit System, which has run in full since 10 April 2026. On your first entry you register your passport, a photo and four fingerprints, at a booth before the desk if staff direct you there; children under 12 are not fingerprinted. It is free, the record lasts three years, and the checks take longer than the old stamp.

  2. Baggage and customs

    For a lost or damaged bag, see your airline's handling agent before you leave the baggage hall. Madeira is inside the EU's customs area, so from mainland Portugal or the rest of the EU there is nothing to declare for your own use; from the UK and other non-EU countries you pass customs on the way out.

  3. Meeting a pre-booked driver

    A private transfer is the easy option for the hotels beyond Funchal, Quinta do Furão at Santana and the Estalagem at Ponta do Sol. Agree the meeting point when you book.

  4. The Aerobus, from the arrivals kerb

    The Aerobus, run by CAM, leaves from the '01 - Aeroporto' stop outside arrivals between 08:30 and 22:00: every half hour in the morning and hourly after midday on weekdays. It reaches Avenida do Mar in 24 minutes, Avenida do Infante in 32, the Lido in 38 and Praia Formosa in 50. A ticket costs €6.70 on board, or €5.55 loaded on a GIRO card, which itself costs €0.50; there is no service on 25 December.

  5. Taxis on the meter

    Madeira's taxis are yellow with a blue stripe, and there are no fixed airport fares: they run on the meter under the regional taxi convention, updated in 2026. From 06:00 to 21:00 on weekdays the first kilometre costs €4.00, then €0.10 every 69 metres, about €1.45 a km; at night and all day at weekends and on holidays, €4.80 and €0.10 every 58 metres, about €1.72 a km. Luggage that goes in the boot, or a pet, adds €1.50. By day that comes to about €30 for central Funchal, €35 for the Lido and €60 for Ponta do Sol.

  6. Car hire

    Avis, Sixt, Rodavante and Europcar are among the hire firms with offices at the airport. Away from Funchal a car is close to essential: the VR1 expressway runs from the airport along the south coast.

Kerb to gate

  1. How early

    TAP opens its check-in and bag-drop desks at Funchal two hours before departure and closes them 45 minutes before, and wants you at the gate 30 minutes before take-off; other airlines set their own deadlines, so check yours. On a UK or other non-Schengen flight, add time for passport control under the Entry/Exit System: gov.uk advises allowing extra time to reach the gate.

  2. Getting there

    The Aerobus runs back from Funchal's seafront and the Lido to the terminal, €6.70 on board or €5.55 prepaid, and the Regional Tourist ticket, €13.75 a day, covers it along with every other bus on the island.

  3. Check-in and self bag drop

    Check-in is in the public area of the terminal, and ANA has recently added check-in and self bag drop capacity. TAP's online check-in opens 36 hours before boarding; with hand luggage only, go straight to security.

  4. Security

    ANA has enlarged security screening for hold and hand luggage, and it named a fast-track security lane among its terminal works in 2025: ask your airline whether your fare or status includes it. Madeira also uses VINCI Airports' biometric system for boarding.

  5. Passport control on the way out

    Flights to the UK and other non-Schengen countries go through passport control, where the Entry/Exit System may ask for a fingerprint or photo again as you leave.

  6. Where to wait

    The restricted departures area is on Level 3, with the shopping gallery ANA opened in 2016, the cafés and bars and the ANA Lounge in the middle of the shops. Clocks has a terrace looking over the runway, and Bites & Beer looks out to sea: the two best seats in the building.

Lounges

Every lounge in detail
Terminal, Level 3, restricted departures area

ANA Lounge

Where
Airside, after security, in the middle of the shopping area
Access
Open to any passenger on an individual basis, booked online through ANA or at the reception desk at the entrance; included for business-class passengers on member airlines, TAP Miles&Go Gold and Star Alliance Gold. Entry from 3 hours 30 minutes before the boarding time on your boarding pass, maximum stay three hours (ANA). Priority Pass lists no lounge at Madeira. Room for about 40, subject to availability
Hours
07:00 to 22:00 since 3 July 2026 (Azores Airlines; TAP gives these hours for March to October); 06:00 to 21:00 before that

The only lounge at the airport, with snacks, drinks and free fast wi-fi: worth booking ahead for a long wait, since it is small.

Delayed or cancelled?What a flight from Madeira Airport is worth, a calculator, and what to do while you wait.Delayed flight

Eat and drink

The catch: one small lounge

Yes, but only one, and it is small. ANA built the ANA Lounge for about 40 passengers, subject to availability, and it takes top-tier flyers as well as anyone who pays, so it can fill. Book it online through ANA rather than turning up, remember you can enter from 3 hours 30 minutes before your boarding time and stay for three at most, and note that Priority Pass lists no lounge at Madeira.

Capacity
About 40, subject to availability
Stay
From 3 hours 30 minutes before boarding, three hours at most
Priority Pass
No lounge listed at Madeira

Insider notes

Prepay the Aerobus. Loaded on a GIRO card the fare is €5.55 rather than €6.70 on board; the card costs €0.50 once, and it works on every bus on the island.

If you will ride the buses on arrival day, the Regional Tourist ticket covers the Aerobus and every operator's lines: €13.75 for a day, €23 for three and €36 for seven, with children aged 6 to 12 paying about half.

The Aerobus runs from 08:30 to 22:00 and not at all on 25 December. Outside those hours it is the taxi meter, at the night and weekend rate before 06:00 and after 21:00, or a driver booked ahead.

The meter also adds €0.10 every 30 seconds in slow traffic by day, so a slow run into Funchal costs a little more than the estimates here.

Bus stop
'01 - Aeroporto', outside arrivals
Aerobus hours
08:30 to 22:00; none on 25 December
Aerobus fare
€6.70 on board; €5.55 on a GIRO card (card €0.50)
Regional Tourist ticket
€13.75 a day, €23 for three, €36 for seven; Aerobus included

Step-free travel and assistance

Assistance at EU airports is free. Ask your airline, travel agent or tour operator for it at least 48 hours before you fly and say exactly what you need; if you give less notice, they must still make all reasonable efforts to help. Airlines carry a recognised assistance dog, medical equipment and two pieces of mobility equipment free of charge.

Delays and your rights

Flights from Madeira fall under EU rules. Arrive three hours or more late and you can claim €250 on flights up to 1,500 km, €400 on longer flights within the EU and other flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km, and €600 beyond (€300 if you arrive three to four hours late), unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. After a delay of two to four hours, depending on distance, the airline owes you meals and drinks, and a hotel if you are moved to the next day.

An early flight or a late landing

The closest of our ten is Sentido Galomar at Caniço de Baixo, 12 minutes from the terminal with the roads clear; Casa Velha do Palheiro and Barceló Funchal Oldtown are 20. The Aerobus does not run before 08:30, so for a dawn flight book a taxi the night before or a driver; before 06:00 the meter runs at the night rate. The ANA Lounge opens at 07:00. Landing after 22:00, the last Aerobus has gone, and it is the taxi or a driver booked ahead.

Getting to our hotels

The airport is east of Funchal, so most of our ten are a short run along the VR1: with the roads clear, Sentido Galomar is 12 minutes away, Casa Velha do Palheiro and Barceló Funchal Oldtown 20, Hotel Madeira 21, Savoy Palace 23, Reid's Palace 24, and The Cliff Bay and VidaMar at the Lido 25. Hotel Quinta do Furão at Santana is 33 minutes across the island and Estalagem da Ponta do Sol 37 to the west. Our transfers page has the Aerobus, taxi, transfer and hire-car options for each of our hotels.

Questions people ask

Good questions about Madeira Airport

How far is Madeira airport from Funchal?

About 20 minutes by car with the roads clear, 18.5 km to the centre. The Aerobus takes 24 minutes to Avenida do Mar and 38 to the Lido.

How do I get from Madeira airport to Funchal?

The Aerobus leaves from outside arrivals between 08:30 and 22:00 for Avenida do Mar, Avenida do Infante, the Lido and Praia Formosa, €6.70 on board or €5.55 on a GIRO card. A taxi costs about €30 to central Funchal and €35 to the Lido by day.

How much is a taxi from Madeira airport?

There are no fixed fares: by day on weekdays the meter charges €4.00 for the first kilometre and about €1.45 a km after, at night and at weekends €4.80 and about €1.72. By day that is about €30 to central Funchal and €60 to Ponta do Sol, plus €1.50 for luggage in the boot.

How much is the Aerobus in Madeira?

€6.70 on board, or €5.55 loaded on a GIRO card, which costs €0.50. The Regional Tourist ticket, from €13.75 a day, includes it.

Is there a lounge at Madeira airport?

Yes, the ANA Lounge in the departures area on Level 3, open from 07:00 to 22:00. Anyone can pay to use it, online through ANA or at the desk, but it holds only about 40 people.

Can I use Priority Pass at Madeira airport?

No. Priority Pass lists no lounge at Madeira; TAP Gold, Star Alliance Gold and business-class passengers get into the ANA Lounge.

How early should I get to Madeira airport?

TAP's desks open two hours before departure and close 45 minutes before. On a UK flight, allow extra time for passport control under the Entry/Exit System.

How many terminals does Madeira airport have?

One. Check-in and the Go To café are in the public area, and the shops, bars and the ANA Lounge are in the restricted departures area on Level 3.