Madeira in December - flight problems

[Lovetotravel123]

We would like to have a holiday in Madeira in December but are worried about the risk of flight cancellations due to cross winds. We are seasoned travellers so aren’t too worried about being diverted, general problems etc. However, I am worried about not being able to get back to work in time if the flight back is cancelled. I could book a shorter holiday to allow for this but it seems a shame to lose a day. Do any of you have experience of this? Am I being overly cautious or is it common to have flight issues in the winter?

Madeira is prone to more issues than other places due to the issues with the airport/runway that you've mentioned. But there's nothing you can do about that!
I would say you're being overly cautious, worrying about something that may very well not happen, and I certainly wouldn't alter the length of my holiday for it. But if it's a concern now, will you be fretting all holiday? If so, just go somewhere else... But millions of people go there every year, and they all get home!

(Also, issues can happen anywhere/any time - a freak storm caused my flight back from France to be cancelled 3 weeks ago, for example, so it's not just in winter that there might be issues)

We went to Madeira in December 2021. No problem with the flight there or back, though passengers did clap when the pilot managed to land the plane at Madeira airport on the first attempt!

I understand that only very experienced pilots tend to take off and land there, so you should be in good hands!

We loved it!

Thank you for the replies.