“Black Hawk” helicopter spotted at Madeira airport earlier this month. “Sighting” confirmed by Jon at Casa Parsons ( as a former helicopter crewman, he should know!). Just wonder where he found those awful jokes! A very unexpected visit from the MH-60S Sea Hawk stationed on the U.S. Navy’s USS Dwight D. Eisenhower – medivac possibly?More photos: http://tafixeolim.blogspot.pt/2012/12/black-hawk-us-navy-em-lpma.html
Porto Santo ferry maintenance
It has been announced that the Porto Santo ferry , which makes daily trips between Madeira and Porto Santo, will carry out the usual annual maintenance in January.
This will involve a trip to the Canaries and could result in a suspension of service from 8th January for five weeks.
Regional Director of Fisheries sentenced
The criminal court Funchal has sentenced the Regional Director of Fisheries, José Teixeira de Ornelas, for abuse of power.
The court applied the accused with a 2530 euro fine or, alternatively, 166 days in jail.
The case concerned the licensing fishing vessels utilised by Asian ship owners. There are no reports on the detail of the wrongdoing, but other Government Ministers have spoken out in his support saying that the practice has been going on for some while! When are the politicians on this island going to tidy up their act!
Unions call for suspension of TAP sale
Workers’ representatives from TAP said yesterday that they expect the Government to act with "common sense" and suspend the sale of the national airline.
"We hope that the Government has common sense, that people are in good faith and that they are more patriotic and the sale to be suspended," said Bruno Fialho of the National Union of Flight Personnel Civil Aviation on behalf of eight unions representing TAP workers at a meeting with the Secretary of State for Transport, Sergio Monteiro. Some of the concerns are around the loss of Lisbon as a “hub” and the consequent job losses.
Madeira Islands Open 2013 returns to Santo da Serra
The Madeira Islands Open, won in 2012 by the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year, Ricardo Santos (opposite – Getty images) , will return to Santo da Serra from May 16-19, 2013. The course was recently voted Portugal’s third best course in The Rolex World’s Top 1,000 Golf Courses.
Santos will be bidding to become the first player to successfully defend the Madeira Islands Open title when Santo da Serra stages the €675,000 tournament for the 18th time next year.
António Henriques, President of Club de Golf Santo da Serra, said: “It is with great pleasure that we will host the 21st edition of the Madeira Islands Open on our Championship Course, which was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and welcomes visitors all year round. May is the month of the flower festival which celebrates Madeira’s natural beauty, so it is a perfect time to visit the island.”
Hopefully they will make a better job of publicising the (correct) dates this year!! (see posts last May when the Open was played on a different weekend to that publicised)
Debs, the TAP Manchester flight was via Lisboa. Good connections both ways but an early start at this end.
Thanks for that Phil. We will check it out as we would prefer to fly to Manchester as we have family in North Wales/Anglesey.
Following up on the above story regarding the sale of TAP the surprise news late this Thursday afternoon is the official announcement that the Portuguese government has decided it will not proceed with the sale of the country’s flagship carrier TAP- Air Portugal to a business group led by Colombian businessman Germán Efromovich, saying that the offer did not comply with the financial conditions required.
The Secretary of State for the Treasury, Maria Luís Albuquerque, said the proposal by Synergy Group did not guarantee the financial means to secure the offer, which included €35m in proceeds for the government, €316m to recapitalize TAP in two phases and the assumption debt of around €1.2bn.
Despite shelving the privatisation of TAP, the government said it remains committed to sell the airline sometime in the future, and it will study the strategy and the timing to do so. While not referring to a specific date, Albuquerque said the new bidding process should take place during the bailout programme’s life span and that it is contingent on market conditions.
The intended sale was part of Portugal’s €78bn bailout programme from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, which called for the government to achieve a budget deficit of 5% of gross domestic product by the end of 2012. Albuquerque said the proceeds expected before from this sale were not significant and that the cancellation will therefore not put the year-end goal at risk.
My son flew from Manchester last Monday €58 return, also cheap from 31st Dec to 14 Jan about the same price
from Dnoticias “Privatization is not an absolute necessity for survival”
The president of TAP, Fernando Pinto, argued today that the company’s privatization “is an opportunity” but “is not an absolute necessity for the survival of the company.”
“There is an absolute necessity for survival,” said Fernando Pinto, in a press conference, scheduled to clarify some misconceptions that according to the manager, were published in the press during the privatization process.
Fernando Pinto said that TAP has a “plan” in the scenario of not privatizing, who means “restructuring”, reiterating that the group is expected to close 2012 with “positive results”.
Speaking to journalists, the manager said that “during the process, many misconceptions have appeared, which are the fault of analysts and experts,” adding that “one of the major goals is to correct the distorted image that TAP was after this process.”
The president of TAP held that “the Government is to be congratulated” by the way “fast” as led the privatization process of the airline, which ended on Thursday with the rejection of Synergy, in the council of ministers.
TAP won’t sell for much, according to one national newspaper last week, for less that the value of the Sporting goalkeeper. It has enormous debts.
I’m having Pizza on Christmas day for a change. I like it Deep Pan, Crisp and Even
Is anyone aware of any strikes by TAP or any other workers likely to affect our trip out on the 8th Jan.
I encouraged someone in the UK to have a holiday recently in Madeira. He enjoyed himself but said that his Easyjet flight was turned back to Gatwick after about an hour and whilst in Madeira there were high winds and lots of rain. However for Elkanah benefit he said Easyjet could not have been nicer putting them up in a hotel at Heathrow and that despite the weather he was impressed by Madeira and the people so perhaps another devotee
Happy Christmas to everyone on this so helpful site
I should have made the above clearer – The plane was turned back because the airport was closed due to a strike going on longer than expected and with nowhere else to land
Good info = good prices. Thank You ALL.
We have/are enjoying the most superb weather available worldwide recently!
Calm, mostly clear skies with temps up to 21*c daytime and 17*c nightime = perfect!
And Funchal really is THE place to visit, enjoy and experience the Magic of Christmas = lights, live music, lovely people and a general ambience that is only surpassed by the synergy of all those taking part=the result is greater than the combined (non) effort = truly Magic, truly Madeira!
MERRY CHRISTMAS from the Magic Island.
from Dnoticias Night Market in Machico exceeds expectations
This is overcome to the expectations of the organization (ACIM) the influx of popular tonight have passed the Night Market which is held for the first time in Machico.
The event allowed until 6 am, will continue into the early hours, “while there are people”, said Martin Alves, President of ACIM.
The Shop Casa which closed earlier in the year, as you may now know has opened a place in Marina Shopping, under a different name, hopefully just for a short time until they find somewhere bigger to fully reopen with the full range of stock.
from Dnoticias Tourist missing in the path of Encumeada
A tourist has been missing since Friday afternoon in the path that connects the Boca da Corrida (Jardim da Serra) Encumeada, DAILY has learned.
The alert was issued by the Civil Protection corporations in the early afternoon on Saturday. To place was mobilized a team of search and rescue formed by 4 Volunteer Firefighters of Ribeira Brava.
Everything indicates that the walker left alone to do the Camino Real Encumeada, a route of 12.5 kilometers to 6:30 am, in the sense Boca Race-Encumeada.
If anyone knows of any restaurants in Funchal that are open on Xmas day and 1st January, it would be useful to see this info on this blog for visitors coming who are going to find their hotel staff on strike on the days that most businesses are closed anyway.
If nobody has any suggestions, then I guess it’s best for the tourists to go Pingos or Sã or whatever on the day before and stock up on a few essentials.
Thanks in anticipation of a few suugestions!!!
from Dnoticas Market Night without rain
Forecasts point to the occurrence of showers on Christmas Eve
All indications are that it will not be necessary to take the umbrella to the Night Market. For this Sunday, the predictions of the Portuguese Institute of Ocean and Atmosphere (IPMA) point to “slightly overcast sky, with clouds increasing towards the end of the day,” advanced the observer of IPMA, Angela Lawrence. “There is no forecast of rain, mainly in the southern parts,” he added.
On June 24, Christmas Eve, the approach of “a surface cold front” will bring rain to the islands, “from the morning, going to the regime of showers in the afternoon.” The rain is accompanied by a drop in temperature. The minimum goes down to the 13, 14 and, in some areas 15. In Funchal and Porto Santo is a maximum of 19.
On Christmas Day, “only a few showers are expected in the Northern part of the island,” explained Angela Lawrence
Christmas is just plain weird. What other time of the year do you sit in front of a dead tree in your living room eating candy and snacks out of your socks
flew easyjet funchal-gatwick yesterday-smooth as silk ,no probs,landed on time ,
Any one interested in jazz music and with a internet radio or use the computer. Try dinner jazz excursions. You may enjoy the music over the Christmas and New Year holidays. If classical your taste try Venice classical radio as well.
from Dnoticias Team cinotécnia GNR integrates search the missing tourist
No 2. º day search, the Civil Protection asks the cooperation of binomial man-dog
A team cinotécnica GNR will integrate the operation to search German tourist 63, missing since Friday afternoon carried on between Boca Race (Jardim da Serra) and Encumeada, DAILY has learned.
At this time, the Civil Protection is preparing the plan and give instructions to search dispostivo composed of search and rescue teams on the mountain Fire, Police and Forest binomial man-dog that GNR was asked to join the search that will begin within moments.
Besides the path of Encumeada, media search and rescue will make inroads by footpaths in the mountains of the Cordillera Central between Ribeira Brava and Câmara de Lobos, as Boca Valentine and Nuns Valley, looking detect traces indicating accident or fall.
The tourist, staying at a hotel in Funchal, decided to make the trek alone, between Boca and Encumeada Race on Friday. This is the PR12, a pedestrian recommended, though of medium difficulty. A distance of 12.5 km, is covered, on average, 6:30 am, by a path that varies between 940 and 1340 meters of altitude.
As yesterday progressed DAILY edition in ‘online’, the foreign national was reported missing early Saturday afternoon. The last telephone contact was made by a lone hiker tour guide, stating that he was lost and needed help.
Yesterday, until nightfall, firefighters and Forest Police made the journey to the end with no sign of the missing.
from Dnoticias ‘RFM Funchal Super Reveillon 2013’
‘Unforgettable Events’ RFM radio and organize New Year’s party at the Farmers’ Market
The ‘Unforgettable Events’ RFM radio and mark the new year in full ‘heart’ of the city of Funchal. ‘RFM Funchal Super Reveillon 2013′, so-called event taking place at the Farmers’ Market right after the fireworks.
The poster combines numerous guests, including the Portuguese producer and DJ, Kura, responsible for opening the show of Swedish House Mafia on the 18th at the Atlantic Pavillion in Lisbon. The ‘super’ New Year’s Eve will be the stage for the presentation of the new single from producer / DJ titled ‘Asteroids on Acid’.
The evening will be marked by a premiere of a new project ‘Bonkers’ and the participation of DJ’s Allan Gul (Nu Soul Family), Ferreira Maciel, PaulX, NS Project and Michael Teixeira.
Doors open at 00h30. Noted that the organization does not allow the entry or exit of alcoholic and non-alcoholic venue. Reference also to the ‘dress code’, ‘chic night’.
from Dnoticias Tourist lost in the Madeira “is weakened but apparently not inspire greater care”
The rescue team to the German tourist “is already beside him and he’s a little weakened by being there three days and two nights in the mountains but apparently does not inspire great care,” said Luis Neri.
Speaking to Lusa News Agency, President of the Regional Service of Civil Protection (SRPC), Colonel Luis Neri, said that the tourist a German national, 63, will be forwarded to the Health Center to be examined but is “weak due to fatigue. ”
The tourist, missing since Friday, was spotted by helicopter PUMA Portuguese Air Force, in the Ribeira Ameixoeira in Serra de Água, when he waved to the aircraft.
Means of Air Force, National Republican Guard (GNR), the Forestry Police and Fire Brigade of Ribeira Brava (BVRB) coordinated by SRPC were involved in the search for the tourist.
The tourist was reported missing since Friday in the route taken in taken between Boca Race (Jardim da Serra) and Encumeada a distance of 12.5 kilometers.
The visitor has decided to make himself and the recommended route of medium difficulty.
On Saturday, a guide transmitting contacted him that was lost in the mountains surrounding the route
The forecast cold front appears to have arrived then! Temp drop of some 10*c with VERY strong winds and heavy rain showers closed the Airport earlier this a.m……HOWEVER, x2 flights have just landed and currently calm and dry in the Santa Cruz area….our departing guests are currently awaiting news re their EasyJet to Bristol due in at 11:20. Check in was closed …. staff agthering info…..
Flights affected this a.m>
Lisboa EasyJet Airlines U2 7601 08:50
Porto SantoSata Air Açores SP 1691 09:00
LisboaPorto SantoTAP Portugal TP 1615 09:30
AmsterdamPorto SantoTransavia HV 601 09:35
Waiting at Porto Santo?
Another ac just landed…19:25 TAP from Heathrow.
OOOooops….EasyJet (from) to Bristol CANCELLED. Aircraft turned back to Bristol. No flights tomorrow, pax/guests in Hotel incl. food and drink until BOXING DAY. No Hotel details as yet……what a rotten Christmas for so many people/families both here and in the U.K………
Other Airlines appear to have diverted to Porto Santo and are arriving now or planning to arrive later …..
Details at:
worldwideweb…….anam.pt/chegadas-madeira
Sorry Guys and Gals.
MMmmmnnnnn…only flights cancelled are EasyJet = Lisbon, Heathrow & Bristol. None of them even made a serious attempt at landing here, turned back. ALL other Airlines/Companies did the decent thing and diverted/delayed to bring their pax here safe and sound.
EasyJet pax (at this end) placed in Vila Gale Hotel in Santa Cruz for x2 nights on FULL BOARD – a little sweetener maybe and I assume, Christmas diner etc…..drinks? But no Family Christmas or pressies then. And what about the poor blighters returned to the U.K? A mad dash ’round Tesco’s, cancelled car parking and kennels etc. – sad.
I wonder what EasyJets’ reasoning is? Perhaps the aircraft were due to be nearly empty on the return leg and they worked out the economics versus contract rate Hotel prices etc? Certainly the weather forecast was for the “front” to pass through, as their flight planning would have shown, as evidenced by the other landings….
Food for thought – if not Turkey!
And talk about adding insult to injury …. placing the stranded pax in a Hotel NEXT to the Airport so that they can gaily watch all the other holiday makers flying home for Christmas – great!
Statement on EasyJet website….NOT True. No strong wind warning in force. Monarch from Gatwick (similar time) and other comparible routes arrived as scheduled:
Funchal (Madeira) Airport – strong winds
24 December 2012
Due to strong winds we are experiencing disruption to flights operating to and from Funchal, as aircraft were unable to land. Strong winds will continue for the remainder of the day, therefore it is with regret that all Funchal flights for today will be rescheduled. We strongly advise passengers flying to / from Funchal to check the status of their flight for further updates. Although this is outside easyJet’s control we apologise for the inconvenience it has caused and assure you we are doing anything possible to operate our flight in and out of Funchal as soon as possible.
Guests (and others) now due to fly to U.K. Boxing Day evening …. doing everything possible? Don’t think so.
I’m sure that Richard Branson would have handled things differently…..
I am sorry to “go on” about this as I, for one, know that aircraft and passenger safety are paramount BUT EasyJet are simply NOT telling the truth.
And at Christmas time = unforgivable.
EasyJet are always the first to cancel at the least hint of windy/rainy conditions. All other flights to & from the UK were operated as usual. Speaking to a Thomson Manager in airport today said they just bottled it, as usual – not the first time EasyJet are the only ones to cancel. It is so uinfair on those returning or going to the UK for family or holiday and those who expected to spend Christmas in Madeira.
EasyJet are blaming Madeira and it’s sometimes bad weather (DUUUrrrhhhh = look at the U.K.) for it’s premature “pull out” attitude – in an atttempt to cover up it’s cost cutting ethos = Not the Pilots, not the Cabin staff (who all do a splendid job) but the “fat” controllers back in the U.K.
Shame on you EasyJet and I just hope that you now suffer a customer feed/fight back a la the non U.K. Tax paying Coffee company in the U.K.
EasyJet should now be disgraced, published on facebook and held to account.
Sorry, we have flown with them and been very happy. But this is just NOT good enough.
For Goodness sake, it’s Christmas!
You rotters.
Meantime:
What do you give a dog for Christmas?
A mobile bone.
Take Care one and all and have a great Christmas – Santa is on his way (NOT via EasyJet) and I hope that he brings you all that you wish for.
Peace, Love and Happiness to you all.
Silent Night, Noisy Morning!