Seeing that the transitional period for the anti-epidemic period has ended, the Macao aviation industry is making best endeavours to resume their operations in Macao. The Civil Aviation Authority (AACM) is also taking a proactive manner to help the industry to recover and meet the air transport demand for Chinese New Year. The Authority has approved the applications for flight resumption and increase of frequencies made by Air Macau, the mainland Chinese and foreign operators. 

Up till this present moment, AACM has received and granted approvals to the flight resumption of the following destinations:

1. [Starting January] one weekly flight to Bangkok and Seoul, operated by Air Macau; three weekly flights to Wuhan, operated by Air China; one daily flight to Wuxi, operated by Shenzhen Airlines.
2. [Starting February] three weekly flights to Kuala Lumpur, operated by Air Asia; two weekly flights to Bangkok, operated by Thai AirAsia.
3. During Chinese New Year from 18 January to 5 February, 2023, Juneyao Airlines is operating between Shanghai Pudong and Macao with one daily frequency; East Asia Airlines is operating between Macao and Hong Kong with 8 daily helicopter services from 16 to 20 January 2023.

In addition, AACM has approved the following applications for increase of frequencies: China Eastern Airlines is increasing frequencies of services between Shanghai Pudong and Macao to 21 weekly flights commencing 20 January 2023; Air Macau is resuming their services to Beijing, Chongqing, Nantong, Qingdao, Taiyuan, Tianjin, Wenzhou, Yiwu and Zhengzhou from the reduced frequencies in December last year due to the COVID-19 situation back to the normal services of 3 to 21 weekly frequencies.  

AACM said “Shanghai is an important city in the destination network of Macao. The post-epidemic recovery also sees a significant increase of frequencies for this destination. As of now, the Shanghai route is marking 8 to 10 flights per day. The transitional period for the anti-epidemic period has ended. The Macao residents are now enthusiastic in making their travel plans; the tourists can now enter into Macao with no major restrictions. We are therefore confident that with the tourism promotional campaigns launched by the SAR government as well as the joint cooperation between the tourism industry and the air transport industry in offering incentive programmes to the air passengers, Macao’s aviation will boost again.”     

AACM also said “Most of the flight services were suspended during the three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing extreme negative impact to the aviation industry. The recovery today is no doubt big news to everyone. As the other operators of the world aviation markets have undertaken in the process of recovery, i.e. ensuring that all license holders and the aircraft must meet the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization, our Authority will continue to carry out the safety oversight in a strict manner. While we will work closely with the industry and facilitate them to speed up the commercial operations, we will also ensure that they operate with safety.”       

Presently, Macao flies to 29 destinations, of which 21 are in mainland China, 1 in Taiwan China, Hong Kong SAR and 6 other Asian cities.