CAM was set up in 1989 and given a 25-year franchise contract to own and manage the airport. In 2001, the local government extended the contract to 2039. The company is responsible for managing the airport, promoting it overseas and licensing firms to offer services within its premises; it must ensure the airport meets international standards.
What has created the success and prosperity of MIA has been the growth of the mainland economy, especially that of South China, and the dramatic increase of visitors into the region.
The number of passengers grew from 1.3 million in 1998 to 2.9 million in 2003 and 5.1 million in 2008. In 1996, the airport had served 18 cities; increasing to the current 43.
Simon Chan noted that, while Macau’s population was 600,000, its hinterland included the west side of the Pearl River Delta, including Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Foshan and Jiangmen, with a population of about 10 million. “The income of people in the Pearl River Delta [PRD] is higher and higher and the number of foreign trips they make is rising every year. This has provided an abundant source of customers for the airport.”
The airport lounge
The facility is expected to benefit from the development of the PRD, the light-rail system from Guangzhou to Zhuhai, the development of Hengqin, the bridge to Hong Kong and the 24-hour border access to Zhuhai. All these will help to provide more visitors to the airport.
Ma said that, to improve the co-operation between the five airports, a regular meeting of their chairman was established in 2001. “Its objective is to work together, provide mutual support and innovative and common development, promote regional airports in the PRD. This is win-win co-operation to achieve a new competing relationship and the development of regional pioneers.”
But it was not always plain sailing. The two most difficult periods were the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) out-
break in 2003.
“During the SARS [crisis], there was one day during which there was only one plane with 25 passengers. Our operations faced a serious challenge,” according to Ma Iao Hang, the chairman of the Board of Directors of CAM. “The development of the airport relied on the support of the motherland and the SAR government, the sympathy of Macau citizens and international recognition.”
In the earlier years, much of its business was transit passengers going between the mainland and Taiwan. In 2008, direct flights between mainland China and Taipei began, causing a serious blow to the airport.
“Before the start of cross-strait flights in 2008, we started the low-cost carrier strategy by introducing Air Asia into Macau in 2004,” said Ma. “So we have smoothly transferred to a more diversified passenger market.”
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