A groundbreaking ceremony for Macau International Airport’s (MIA) air cargo terminal in Hengqin was held on Tuesday morning, according to multiple media reports.
Situated approximately 13 kilometres away from the airport, the new facility is being built on a roughly 66,700 square metre plot of land in Hengqin, with the total construction area measuring some 97,600 square metres.
The new terminal is due to wrap up construction in late 2026 and will come into operation in the first half of 2027. Upon completion, it is expected to handle around 300,000 tons of air cargo per year.
“The upstream cargo terminal, located in the core of [Hengqin], will achieve airport cargo function advancement and seamless connection of logistics between Hengqin and Macao, improving customs clearance efficiency, reducing costs and providing efficient air transport support for cross-border e-commerce and high-end manufacturing industries,” Ma Iao Hang, the chairman of the MIA’s board of directors, said during the ceremony.
Meanwhile, Tai Kin Ip, Macao’s secretary for economy and finance, pointed out that the new terminal would broaden MIA’s security screening, cargo consolidation and distribution operations into Hengqin.
He added that the project would help to facilitate greater ties between Macao, Hengqin and the Greater Bay Area in terms of logistics, commerce and technology. As well, he mentioned its role in promoting the SAR’s economic diversification and strengthening the air logistic channel that ties China and Portuguese-speaking countries economically and in trade.
[See more: Macao’s airport aims for 12 percent passenger growth in 2025]
A number of other senior government officials also attended the groundbreaking event. They included Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai, the director of the Macau Liaison Office Zheng Xincong, the commissioner of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Macao Liu Xianfa, and Raymond Tam, Macao’s secretary for public transport and public works.
Aside from the new cargo terminal, Macao’s airport is also seeking to boost its capacity further via an expansion project that involves reclaiming 129 hectares of land. Due for completion by 2030, the land reclamation will raise the MIA’s total area to 325 hectares, allowing the airport to house additional facilities such as aircraft bays.
The current efforts to expand the MIA comes as the airport’s operator seeks to boost passenger traffic. Earlier this year, the Macau International Airport Company’s chairman, Simon Chan, said his company had set a targeted year-on-year growth rate of 12 percent for this year, with roughly 8.5 million passengers expected to use the airport.
