The territory’s flag carrier has enjoyed exclusive rights for the last 25 years but new legislation is being drawn up that will liberalise the sector.
However, total airport arrivals in the first quarter of 2023 are still only less than a third of what they were during the same period before the pandemic.
New figures released by the airline’s majority shareholder show that Macao’s flag carrier racked up cumulative losses of almost 2.9 billion patacas during the three-year pandemic.
Strong tourism recovery means the airport should be handling some 480 flights a week by the end of this month, aviation officials say.
The airport is seeing an uptick in private jet arrivals, reports say, with one charter operator hoping the market will recover half of its pre-pandemic volume this year.
Air Macau adds additional services to Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Taiwan to its schedule, and opens new routes too.
Feel like getting out of town? Expect a major increase in the number of flights as new and existing carriers add services from Macao.
Restoration of Macao’s air network continues in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, with services to Osaka, among others, resuming this month.
But the territory is pinning its hopes on revived passenger numbers with the ending of Covid-19 restrictions.
Flights to Bangkok and Manila slated to resume soon, with other services added in the coming weeks and a boost in air cargo traffic expected.
The airline is set to restore routes to at least half the destinations it served before the pandemic.
MOP 118 million will be used to subsidise group tours from mainland China, Taiwan and further afield; MGTO targeting younger visitors with online promotions.
Officials record more than 76,000 passengers and 620 flights during holiday week; Air Asia, China Southern and other regional airlines to resume operations soon.
Flag-carrier Air Macau and other airlines to start flying once more to host of regional destinations including Bangkok, Seoul and many destinations in mainland China.
Tourism officials expect up to 50,000 daily visitors, and 50 per cent hotel occupancy between 22 and 28 January; city to have more flights starting next month.
Carrier will start flying to Kaohsiung, Seoul, Manila, Singapore and Da Nang early next year, and is hoping for 90% increase in mainland China traffic.
Macao flag-carrier plans to run more than 5,700 flights between Macao and 17 mainland Chinese cities in coming months; launching new route to Fuzhou.
No immediate change to quarantine regulations; vaccine for under-fives due next month or in November.
Ninety-six Macao residents, including 88 students, are currently undergoing 7-14 days’ quarantine at the Sheraton Grand Macao.
Public can now tour the museum online anytime, anywhere; two-for-one admission deal available to Air Macau until 30 June.
Passenger numbers increased by 27.95 per cent to 698,500 last year, but still fall a long way short of the 3 million in 2019.
Among others, Macao’s airport, Science Centre and World Trade Centre all face increased scrutiny under new proposals which are likely to adopt a modus operandi similar to the mainland’s.
Passengers can change their booking to a date before the end of June next year, however there are four holiday blackout periods.
Free cancellations or rescheduling are available after NAT validity switched to 48 hours; Macao-Chengdu flights cancelled in early August.
Carrier’s move reflects expectations of a bumper Golden Week as hordes of mainland tourists who have been cooped up by Covid-19 head for Macao.
To alleviate losses in 2020 due to the pandemic, Air Macau leases five of its planes to Air China for a period of three years.
Relaxed quarantine measures and huge thirst for travel make the city top choice for mainlanders, promising a healthy start to the summer for travel and gaming businesses.
A knowledgeable source indicated that the value of the capital could be increased to more than MOP 2 billion.
The Macao government is expected to make a capital injection into Air Macau – which will be the company’s third capital increase since 2009 – due to the company’s financial situation as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Tribuna de Macau newspaper writes today.
Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário said on Wednesday that a three-year period will be a suitable length of time for the local government’s extension of Air Macau’s monopoly, which was originally slated to expire early next month, adding that Macao’s civil aviation sector is going through a “very difficult” time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Macao flag carrier Air Macau has been granted a three-year conditional extension of its exclusive concession by the local government.
The Macao government extended Air Macau’s public concession service for three more years from 9 November, according to the Official Gazette (BO) today.
Air Macau suffered net losses of RMB 464 million (US$67.4 million) between January and June this year, according to data from Air China released today by Tribuna de Macau newspaper.
From late this month, EVA Air will operate five flights from Macao to Taipei where local passengers can take transfer flights to London and France, as part of the Macao government’s special measure to help Macao residents who are enrolled overseas to fly to the respective countries after their summer break here.
An Air Macau flight en-route to Macau from Tokyo was forced to return to the Japanese capital on Wednesday afternoon, reportedly due to an engine problem.
Macau’s top tourism official welcomed competition among airlines using the local airport, saying that it was “always advantageous to have more competition” as it would raise service quality.
The civil aviation authorities of mainland China and Macau signed an air transport deal in Beijing this week.
In the first half of 2019 Air Macau is scheduled to take delivery of three new A320neo Airbus aircraft that were ordered from BOC Aviation, the Bank of China group company said in a statement.
Air Macau will continue in 2018 with the programme to recruit captains to fly Airbus 320 aircraft in South America and Europe, and the recruitment drive in Europe will take place in April of that year.
Air Macau officials are in São Paulo for a “South America Roadshow” to recruit captains for Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said according to Macauhub.
Air Macau ended 2015 with net profits of 31 million yuan (38.3 million patacas at current exchange rates), representing a
