Footage shows the heart-stopping moment where a plane full of passengers attempted to land in Madeira only to be shaken by violent winds
The terrifying moment a plane packed with passengers is violently shaken by strong winds as it attempts to land at Madeira Airport has been caught on camera.
The jaw-dropping footage shows the Marabu Airlines A320 shakily approaching the runway and swaying from side to side, before a turbulent landing that appears to cause the aircraft to bounce up and down the runway at Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira International Airport in Madeira. It’s not yet been confirmed whether there were any injuries to passengers as a result.
One social media user, commenting on the plane’s approach and landing, said today: “This is crazy. I already have a knot in my lower neck just from watching.”
Another, believed to have been a passenger on the plane, said: “Landing in Madeira had to be one of the worst moments in my life. That airport is as scary as hell. I felt the plane moving non-stop and the landing was so bad, God.”
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She continued: “I get it when people say it’s one of the most dangerous airports because IT’S TRUE,” which prompted a local to respond: “Imagine how us living in Madeira must feel when we have to travel. We pray every time so everything goes well.”
Yesterday, a reported 49 flights – 26 arrivals and 23 departures – were cancelled due to the severe weather conditions, causing major disruptions for a second consecutive day and causing chaos for British tourists trying to reach and leave the island. Frustrated holidaymakers took to social media in the early hours of this morning to vent their anger about being left stranded without food or accommodation.
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The first flight reported to have been cancelled yesterday was coming from London. A 1.45am flight scheduled to depart for London was also among those cancelled, with Ryanair and easyJet being among the airlines affected.
Local newspapers described it as a “nightmare day” for travellers. Some planes reportedly managed to fly over Madeira for a few minutes before being diverted to other airports including Porto Santo, Lisbon, Faro and even Tenerife.
On social media, some Brits claimed that they were left stranded at the airport and unable to return to the UK, claiming that they were not give food or accommodation, and left in the dark about when the next flights would be available.
Meanwhile one Portuguese passenger told local news that up to 500 people were reportedly forced to sleep at the airport, while another said that no mattresses had been provided for those who were stuck overnight. They added: “No-one helped us or informed us of anything and there was no food available.”
Were you affected by the chaos at Madeira? Email us at [email protected]