United’s Nonstop Madeira Flights Return Ahead of Wine Festival Season
United’s seasonal Newark service returns as Madeira prepares for its annual wine festival and harvest experiences.
Photo: Jan Tokarczyk / Unsplash
Travelers from the U.S. East Coast once again have a nonstop option to one of Europe’s most distinctive wine destinations. United Airlines has resumed its seasonal service between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Madeira’s Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport (FNC), making it easier for American visitors to experience the Portuguese island during its annual grape harvest and wine festival.
The route operates three times a week through Sept. 23, with departures from Newark on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and return flights from Madeira on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The service complements Madeira’s year-round accessibility via TAP Air Portugal connections through Lisbon and Porto, giving travelers from cities including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Newark, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., multiple options for reaching the island.
The timing coincides with one of Madeira’s biggest annual draws: the Madeira Wine Festival, which runs from Aug. 23 through Sept. 13. Celebrating the island’s centuries-old winemaking tradition, the festival combines cultural events with vineyard experiences, including the Madeira Wine Lounge in Praça do Povo, concerts staged among the vines, the Estreito Wine Harvest Festival and opportunities for visitors to participate in the grape harvest.
Wine has been central to Madeira’s identity for more than 600 years. The fortified wine became famous across Europe and the Americas, with historical admirers including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Winston Churchill. Today, travelers can explore that legacy along the Madeira Wines Route, which winds through approximately 500 hectares of vineyards across Madeira and Porto Santo. The route showcases the island’s steep terraced vineyards, locally known as poios, and highlights the region’s signature grape varieties, including Sercial, Verdelho, Bual, Malvasia, Terrantez and Tinta Negra.
For clients looking to build a wine-focused itinerary, Madeira also offers a growing collection of vineyard hotels where guests can pair accommodations with tastings, winery tours and, during harvest season, hands-on experiences such as grape picking and traditional grape treading.
