The contract began on September 28, 1959, with a project by Engineer Correia Mendes. A little less than a year later, the first experimental flight took place on July 20, 1960, on a Lisbon / Porto Santo connection, a trip that was repeated in the following month, on the 24th.

The official inaugural flight took place on August 28, 1960, and TAP's Douglas DC-4 Skymaster plane, coming from Lisbon and piloted by commander Amado da Cunha, landed at 11:55 am on the 2km long runway. The Minister of Public Works, engineer Eduardo de Arantes e Oliveira, disembarked along with the Minister of Communications, Carlos Gomes da Silva Ribeiro and the general director of Civil Aeronautics, engineer Vítor Veres, who were received by the Governor of the District of Funchal, Commander Camacho Freitas; by the Military Commander of Madeira, Brigadeiro Humberto Buceta Martins; by the Mayor of Porto Santo, Professor João Inácio Perestrelo and the Bishop of Funchal, David Sousa.

The delegation visited the new terminal facilities, as well as the houses that relocated the families who lived in the airport area, from where they proceeded to “Pico do Castelo”, in order to enjoy a panoramic view of the work that was inaugurated. Still in Porto Santo, Carlos Ribeiro inaugurated the Commemorative Pattern of the Henriquinas “Descobertas Henriquinas do Arquipélago”. After his speech, a parade of the guard of honor followed, which ended on the island of Madeira, in a 4-hour sea connection.

[MG]

Credits: Museu de Fotografia da Madeira - Atelier Vicente's.

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