TurboJet has announced that passengers headed to Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport from Macao by ferry will soon be able to complete check-in and baggage screening procedures at the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal before boarding their vessel.
While the terminal’s new “city airport lounge” opened this week, the official start date for full lounge operations is still being finalised. Its initial phase will only allow check-ins for domestic flights, the Macau Daily Times reports.
Alfred Ng, director of the Macao services division at Shun Tak China Travel Ship Management, described the upcoming service as a way to encourage international travellers to take advantage of the mainland’s recently relaxed visa policies for dozens of nationalities.
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The 240-hour transit policy allows foreign passport holders to spend up to 10 days in mainland China visa-free if transiting to a third country or region, including Macao.
The 120-minute ferry route connecting Macao and Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport has been operating since November last year, with six daily departures from 9 am to 3:30 pm. In Shenzhen, complimentary shuttle buses provide a five-minute transfer between the airport’s ferry terminal and the main airport complex – from where more than 100 domestic and international destinations can be reached.
Passenger demand has remained steady since its launch, averaging more than 100 passengers per day and surging to as many as 800 during the New Year holiday period, Ng said.
