Around 6.34 million passengers passed through the city’s airport between January and October of this year, according to recent data from the Macau International Airport Company (known by its Portuguese initials CAM).
While the figure marks a surge of almost 57 percent in comparison to the same period last year, it still falls short of a complete post-pandemic recovery, representing a rebound of only 80 percent against the corresponding number in 2019.
Plane traffic also grew significantly in the first ten months of this year, with a total of more than 49,000 aircraft moving through the airport during the period, a jump of around 49 percent year-on-year. This number, however, is only a recovery of 78 percent when compared to the total from the first ten months of 2019.
International passenger numbers also rose substantially over the first three quarters of this year, with CAM pointing out that they made up 15 percent of arrivals, a year-on-year increase of 110 percent. It said that the growth in the number of international flyers was a sign that the airport was “steadily recovering and advancing toward new growth milestones.”
In light of the substantial increase in passenger numbers, certain airlines such as Air Macau have begun operating wide-body planes.
[See more: Plane traffic is up 70 percent year-on-year]
CAM also mentioned that the majority of the routes that were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic were now in operation. While flights between Macao and Jeju Island have yet to resume, the airport operator said plans were underway to relaunch the route.
Meanwhile, the airport operator said Air Macau would begin operating its new direct route between the SAR and Taichung this month. A flight between Lhasa and Macao by way of Chongqing is also being planned.
As well, the frequency of pre-existing flights between Macao and destinations such as Bangkok, Chongqing, Guiyang and Nanning will be boosted during the winter period to meet the growing demand.
In order to further grow Macao’s aviation and tourism markets, CAM is set to host the 13th Macau Business Aviation Exhibition between this Thursday and Sunday. As part of this event, China’s C919, the country’s first fully homegrown aircraft, will make its debut in the SAR.
According to an announcement by Air Macau, the plane will land in Macao on 7 November and will be showcased during the exhibition. A C919 photography competition has been organised, with applicants invited to submit their photos of the plane by 15 November.
