The president of PS-Madeira today again defended the implementation of an integrated contingency plan, with Porto Santo as an alternative, to face the increasingly frequent conditioning of Madeira Airport due to the winds.
The leader of the Socialists said that, even if the wind limits are revised, there will always be days when the airport will be closed, so it is essential to implement an integrated contingency plan. Porto Santo is ideal as it has a daily maritime connection that allows the transfer of passengers between the two islands.
“The port infrastructures are managed by APRAM and the maritime connection is the concessionaire Porto Santo Line, a public service concession where the grantor is the Regional Government,” said Sérgio Gonçalves, stressing that it only depends on the Executive “to implement this contingency plan that does so much in the days of greatest constraints and that would improve mobility between the two islands in case of conditioning of Madeira Airport, a situation that affects tourists but also all those who reside in the Autonomous Region.”
This is especially important as the President of ANAC will not consider looking at airspeed limits for Madeira Airport until 2025.
During a parliamentary hearing, Bricio Araújo, from the PSD, again questioned the head of ANAC about whether the authority can ensure that on the 30th of September 2025, the date scheduled for the completion of studies on wind limits at Madeira airport, it can take a decision on the review of this matter. Tânia Cardoso Simões assumed that it would not be the case, as all the data collected needs to be analysed and the necessary conclusions made. Nothing will happen until 2026 at the earliest.
Bad news for an island that is only served by one means of transport – air! As what would happen in the case of a natural disaster, one bigger than that of the 20th of February 2010 if the airport is closed due to wind restrictions?
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
