Madeira Airport (LPMA / FNC) — officially the Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport — is famous worldwide for one of the most dramatic and challenging approaches in commercial aviation. Built on a narrow strip of land between cliffs and the Atlantic Ocean on Portugal's Madeira island, the runway sits partly on a structure of 180 concrete pillars over the sea. Watch the unforgettable arrivals on the live spotter cameras above.
Madeira Airport's ICAO code is LPMA and its IATA code is FNC.
The runway is wedged between mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, with about half of its length resting on a deck supported by 180 pillars over the sea. The approach requires a curving, manually-flown technique that is unlike any other commercial airport, making it a magnet for aviation enthusiasts.
Madeira Airport is in the municipality of Santa Cruz on Madeira island, Portugal, about 13 km (8 miles) northeast of Funchal.
The airport was renamed in 2017 in honour of Cristiano Ronaldo, who was born in Funchal. Locally and among aviation enthusiasts it is most often still called Madeira Airport.