Work on the expansion of the airport will commence before the end of the year and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2030, according to the Macau International Airport Company (also known by its Portuguese initials CAM).
In a statement cited by Macau Post Daily, CAM said the expansion project would increase the airport’s passenger handling capacity to 15 million a year.
The expansion will involve a 1.3-square-kilometre reclamation project in the waters off the present runway, to add more aircraft gates and taxiways.
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The approval of expansion plans comes as Macao’s aviation sector continues its recovery from its pandemic doldrums.
According to the latest official figures, there were 5,218 commercial flights in August, or a 28.5 percent increase compared to the same month in 2023. The gross weight of air cargo handled rose by 78 percent year on year to 9,542 tonnes.
Looking at the first eight months of this year, the number of flights handled by the airport increased by more than 63 percent compared to the same period a year ago, while the volume of air cargo rose by nearly 98 percent to 67,328 tonnes.
