Madeira Airport's operability is becoming a risk to the regional economy, warned António Trindade, chairman of the PortoBay group. Constant wind-related disruptions are leading operators and carriers to consider suspending operations to the island as early as 2027, due to increased costs from diversions, cancellations, and passenger accommodation.
Trindade highlighted that this situation affects not only tourism businesses but also residents, who fear travelling. The PortoBay group already incurred losses of €100,000 over three days due to these disruptions, a figure that, according to the businessman, suggests the scale of total losses when considering all hotel units in the region.
The businessman argues that Madeira needs to understand the true economic impact of these inoperabilities, comparing the need for a study on the tourism sector with the attention given to transport alternatives like ferries. The situation is described as "very worrying" for future air and tourism operations.
