Macao’s airport processed a total of 5.15 million passengers last year, equating to 54 percent of its 2019 volume, according to a statement released by its operator.
Mainland Chinese made up 58 percent of passenger numbers at the airport in 2023, and the Taiwanese made up 15 percent. Southeast Asian nationals made up 27 percent, reflecting Macao’s large Philippine and Indonesian expatriate populations.
This is in contrast to a 70 percent recovery in overall tourism numbers, according to provisional data from the Macao Government Tourism Office. Most visitors arrive by Macao’s land crossings, or by bridge or ferry from neighbouring Hong Kong.
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The Macau International Airport Company (known by its Portuguese initials CAM) said it would explore additional international routes to attract more foreign tourists to Macao. It also promised to launch “travel convenience measures” for locals flying in and out of the SAR.
Macau International Airport currently has the capacity to handle 10 million passengers per year, though is set to expand by 2026. Macao’s five-year economic diversification plan includes a proposal to increase the airport’s size through a land reclamation process scheduled to start in the second half of 2024.
The airport currently handles 25 different airlines that service various destinations in Asia.
