Dozens of passengers were compelled to spend the night at Porto Santo Airport, some on mattresses provided by ANA, after several planes were unable to land at Madeira Airport. The lack of hotel capacity on the Golden Island, with hotels fully booked, resulted in many remaining at the terminal through the early morning hours, a direct consequence of severe constraints on air operations in Madeira.
Among those stranded were passengers from diverted easyJet flights. Despite alternative options, few chose to return immediately, opting instead to await solutions by air or sea. Porto Santo served as a primary diversion airport, receiving eight of the nineteen flights initially destined for Madeira.
Gusts of up to 86 km/h were recorded at Porto Santo Airport on Saturday night, according to IPMA data. Compounding the issue, Binter experienced disruptions that stranded passengers between the Canary Islands, Madeira, and Porto Santo, affecting inter-island connections.
