Transport in Madeira

On 9 November 1958, Captain Harry Frank Broadbent accompanied by co-pilot Thomas Rowell, four other crew and 30 passengers, piloted Martin PBM Mariner (CS-THB, named "Porto Santo") owned by ARTOP Linhas Aéreas, from Cabo Ruivo Seaplane Base near Lisbon, headed for Funchal.

About an hour into the flight, when it would have been over the Atlantic Ocean about 280 kilometres (150 nautical miles) southwest of Lisbon, a radio message code "QUG" was received, meaning "I am forced to land immediately".

It was dreaded among airliner pilots for its runway, which was not only short (the largest planes that could be accommodated were the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737) but was also built on a high embankment which fell away abruptly towards the sea.

[3] A ferry service between Funchal and Portimão, on the mainland, provided by Naviera Armas sailed weekly from 2008, but was discontinued in 2013 due to a dispute over harbour fees.

[6] Funchal is frequently used as a stop-over by transatlantic ships, en route from Europe to the Caribbean, as it is the northernmost Atlantic island that lies in the path of the Westerlies.

Bus companies such as Horários do Funchal, Rodoeste and SAM (Sociedade de automóveis da Madeira) have been operating for over one hundred years, and they have regularly scheduled routes to all points of interest on the island.