Azores Airlines Launches Madeira Island

Portugal’s Azores Airlines has commenced direct flights from the Portuguese Archipelago of Madiera to two destinations in North America. Flights to Boston and Toronto both began this week, complementing existing links to New York.

Three’s a party

This summer, there will be more direct flights between North America and some of the westernmost islands in Europe. SATA Group Airlines, which comprises SATA Air Açores and Azores Airlines, is offering one of its largest schedules ever as it adds flights from Madeira’s Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport (FNC) in the capital of Funchal.

The nonstop flights will carry passengers to and from the Madeira Archipelago, which also includes the island of Porto Santo (PXO) and the Desertas Islands. The latter are uninhabited, as the name would imply, and serve as a designated Portuguese nature reserve.

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Having long served New York JFK from Madeira, the carrier is expanding its reach with summer seasonal services to Boston and Toronto to accommodate a significant diaspora and increase connectivity. Graça Silva, Director of Sales, Marketing and Communication at SATA Group, noted how the flights will benefit travelers:

“These two direct operations represent the conclusion of consistent work with our partners in the United States, Canada and the Madeira Archipelago, which have allowed us to expand the offer to this Archipelago with these direct flights, in addition to the New York operation and flights between the Azores to Madeira Island that Azores Airlines has ensured over the years”.

Photo: Flightradar24

Daily flight connections via the Ponta Delagda (PDL) in the nearby Azores Archiplegio will continue to be available. Trips can even take advantage of the famous Azores Stopover program in conjunction with a direct flight in one direction and experience more than one idyllic destination on the same trip.

When are the flights?

The direct flights depart for Boston Logan Airport (BOS) on Tuesdays and return to Funchal on Wednesdays. Notably, the aircraft initially operating the both routes is a widebody Boeing 767 (CS-TST) aircraft operated by EuroAtlantic Airways. The aircraft sets 267 passengers, including 18 in business class, for the six-hour flight. The return leg is scheduled to take just over seven hours.

Photo: InsectWorld | Shutterstock

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The direct connection between Canada and Madeira also operates weekly. Flights depart Funchal on Fridays for the eight-hour journey to Ontario. In the opposite direction, flights depart Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) on Saturdays for the return leg, which lasts just under seven hours. The full schedule is below:

In addition to its North American network, the airline has also been expanding across Europe. This month, the carrier inaugurated flights between New York and Boston to Porto (OPO) in Northern Portugal and from Ponta Delgada to Faro on the Portuguese Algarve, Milan, and London. Graça Silva, Director of Sales, Marketing, and Communication, noted how significant the flights are for the community:

“The new bets are the result of concerted efforts with several agents and business partners. It provides more options for passengers who want to reach the Azores and more opportunities for those who wish to travel between Europe and North America.

“These investments will consolidate the sustained growth trajectory seen at the airline in recent years.”

Photo: Azores Airlines

In addition to the new flights, the airline increased its regular flights across its domestic and international networks by around 26% for the summer of 2024 compared to last year’s IATA summer season.