Introduction

For many years, the sea represented the only means by which the islands could be reached. Madeira was no exception and, more than anything else, just arriving here was, in itself, a privilege. From the island, people either emigrated or embarked on tourist cruises, since, for many shipping companies, this was an obligatory port of call because of the archipelago’s great beauty and exoticism.

Given the evolution in technology, but never forgetting the natural limitations of that time, a new era was embarked upon that was to completely revolutionise the relationship between the island and the outside world.

The history of aviation in the Madeira archipelago dates back to the period after the Second World War.