Lisbon, Oct. 31, 2025 (Lusa) - The radar that will make it possible to detect winds at Madeira International Airport will start operating on 10 November, the Minister for Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, announced in parliament on Friday.
"We are finalising the entry into operation of the LIDAR radar so that we can have these flights even with crosswinds," said the minister, at a hearing in parliament, as part of the special assessment of the proposed State Budget for 2026.
"It has been installed and will be in operation from the 10th," he said in response to questions from MP Filipe Sousa, from the JPP.
At stake is MADeira Winds (MAD Winds), comprising an X-Band Radar, a LIDAR system and a processing system that analyses meteorological data with high precision, a system that will enable shorter and more effective situational awareness at Madeira International Airport, providing essential support for operational decisions during the most critical phases of flight, namely approach, landing and take-off.
Operations at Madeira International Airport, located in the municipality of Santa Cruz in the east of the island, are frequently affected by wind conditions.
MAD Winds - presented in December 2024 and budgeted at €3.5 million - will have a test period of one year, during which it will be evaluated and subjected to adjustments to optimise its operation in relation to the characteristics of Madeira airport, the only one in the world whose wind limits are mandatory - 15 knots - although they were imposed in 1964 and defined based on studies using a World War II DC3 aircraft, when the runway was 1,600 metres long, whereas today it is 2,781 metres long.
According to NAV Portugal, around 80% of flight divergences currently caused by wind are only up to three knots above the imposed limits, so the new system is a "crucial tool" for a more accurate and potentially more favourable assessment of the operation.
MP Filipe Sousa called for regular and accessible sea and air connections between the archipelago and the mainland, and for Porto Santo airport to be equipped with the conditions to make it a "safe and effective alternative" to Madeira's, when there is bad weather or in the event of an emergency.
"We are demanding that ANA [Aeroportos de Portugal] invest in Porto Santo's terminal, which is necessary," said the minister.
The autonomous region currently has two airports, one on the island of Madeira and the other on the island of Porto Santo.
SBR/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
