Dozens of passengers were forced to spend the night at Porto Santo Airport, some on mattresses provided by ANA, due to strong winds that prevented numerous flights from landing in Madeira on Saturday.
Hotels across Porto Santo were reportedly full, leaving no accommodation available for passengers whose aircraft had been diverted to the island. Many remained inside the airport terminal overnight, waiting for an alternative way to reach Madeira, either by air or sea.
The disruption at Madeira Airport resulted in 17 cancelled arrivals and 14 cancelled departures. Another 19 incoming flights were diverted to Porto Santo, Lisbon, the Canary Islands, and Porto. Porto Santo became a principal alternative airport, receiving eight of the 19 diverted aircraft.
