This Airline’s New Flights Are the Only Way to Fly Directly From the US to Madeira

Azores Airlines, a Portuguese airline based in the city of Punta Delgada in the Azores archipelago, is the only airline in the world to offer direct flights between the US and Madeira.

Madeira is one of two inhabited islands that make up the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira Islands, the other one being Porto Santo. Madeira is located in the Atlantic Ocean, well off the European coast, and closer to Morocco than mainland Portugal. The island of Madeira is relatively small being 34-mile long and 14-mile wide, but with 90 miles of beautiful coastline and a mountainous terrain and lush vegetation (everything grows there, from wine grapes to bananas), it’s an appealing destination for those looking for a tropical and lesser-known island escape in Europe.

The capital of Madeira, Funchal, is home to the archipelago’s main airport which now welcomes regular Azores Airlines seasonal flights from two cities in the US: New York and Boston.

Since March 21, 2024, and until October 21, 2024, there has been one direct flight per week from New York to Funchal and from Funchal to New York.

From June 4, 2024, and until September 25, 2024, there will be one direct flight per week from Boston to Funchal, and from Funchal to Boston.

Flights between New York and Funchal, and between Boston and Funchal, take around six hours.

Because there is only one flight per week each way from and to those airports, you’ll need to make sure you don’t miss your flight or you’ll have to push your trip for another seven days, or have to reroute through mainland Europe.

Azores Airlines also offers direct flights between the US and the cities of Lisbon and Porto, both in mainland Portugal, as well as between the US and the cities of Punta Delgada and Terceira, both of which are located in the Azores archipelago. The Azores archipelago is another remote tropical cluster of islands belonging to Portugal located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

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