TurboJET is ready to resume its Taipa-Sheung Wan route for the first time in three years, after services were halted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Hong Kong-based ferry company, owned by Shun Tak Holdings, is now waiting for the thumbs-up from the governments in Hong Kong and Macao, according to the Director of the Macao Services Division of Shun Tak China Travel Ship Management.
Alfred Ng said: “[TurboJET’s] licences for the company’s existing four ferries are still valid and can pick up passengers at any time,” underlining ticket prices will remain at pre-pandemic prices.
He added that the company plans to provide a total of 16 daytime ferry trips between the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan and the Taipa Ferry Terminal per day to start with – about 10 per cent of the pre-pandemic ferry services between the two cities. However, there may be additional ferry services during the Chinese New Year, he stressed.
Ng also said that TurboJET would gradually resume the company’s ferry services between Hong Kong and the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal in the Macao peninsula, as well as nighttime ferry services, “depending on the situation”.
He admitted it will take some time to arrange for staff and for ferry services to return to the pre-pandemic level.
TurboJET currently owns more than 20 vessels, which have been fully maintained during the pandemic. The company is now waiting for administrative procedures to be completed before the resumption plan can get off the ground, TDM reported.
TurboJET’s services between Macao’s Taipa Ferry Terminal and Hong Kong International Airport’s Skypier resumed on 30 December, with one round-trip ferry service every Friday and Sunday, with ferries from Macao to Hong Kong Airport departing at 2:30 pm, while the return ferry services are scheduled for 9:45 am departure on those two days.
