Airport announces plans for new Southeast Asian routes

[Photo; Yuki Lei]

The Macau International Airport Company (CAM) has announced plans to introduce several new international and Southeast Asian routes.

The announcement was made during yesterday’s annual Spring Festival media gathering.

The local airport will launch new flights from Macau to Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam, on March 3, with additional routes to Manila and other destinations also anticipated in the second half of the year, aiming to attract more Southeast Asian travelers to Macau.

To accommodate travel demand during the Lunar New Year period, airlines have added more than 80 round-trip flights before the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, primarily targeting Southeast Asia, with a focus on Bangkok, Hanoi, and Kuala Lumpur.

Currently, airlines in Southeast Asia predominantly operate narrow-body aircraft with a flight radius of approximately 3.5 to 4 hours, and many Vietnamese and Cambodian carriers have selected Macau as their hub for launching flights within that range.

In addition, the airport announced that mainland carrier West Air plans to launch flights from Chongqing to Macau.

While addressing rumors regarding a Macau-Fukuoka route, officials confirmed that both Air Macau and AirAsia have expressed interest in operating this route, which remains a commercial decision for the respective airlines.

According to CAM data, airport passenger throughput reached 680,000 in January this year, with an average daily passenger volume of approximately 22,000, up from the same period last year.

The airport projects passenger traffic volume to reach 8.14 million by 2026, alongside 63,000 aircraft movements, cargo volume of 110,000 metric tons, and 1,200 business jet movements.

At the event, Ma Iao Hang, chairman of the Board of Directors of CAM, provided insights into the airport’s key focus areas from last year and its development plans for the current year.

Despite a slight year-on-year decline in passenger volume and flight numbers last year, the company anticipates steady growth in flight volumes as part of its 2026 development plan.

Ma reported that the airport handled over 7.52 million passengers in 2025 and recorded nearly 58,000 aircraft movements—both reflecting slight declines of 1.6% and 2.9%, respectively, from the previous year.

In contrast, international passenger traffic increased by 7% year-on-year, while cargo volume surpassed 109,000 metric tons, representing approximately 1% growth.

Additionally, business jet movements reached 1,165, up 2% from the prior year. As noted in his speech, CAM’s total revenue for 2025 is projected at approximately MOP 1.354 billion, representing an 8.5% year-on-year decrease.

Building on Ma’s comments, Chan Weng Hong, chairman of the Executive Committee of CAM, provided insights into the airport’s flight volume, which reached over 58,000 in 2025, highlighting that mainland passengers comprise more than 50% of the total traffic.

“This trend is particularly evident in the route market, where mainland passengers account for over 50%,” Chan stated.

He also noted that travelers from Taiwan and Hong Kong account for 15% and 12%, respectively, while passengers from other countries and regions make up approximately 17%.

Notably, the growth rate of international passengers compared with 2024 is significant, “reaching 800 million,” Chan emphasized, indicating an increase in the share of international passenger sources.

He further noted that China is expected to remain the primary source market for passengers in the coming year. At the same time, direct engagement with international travelers has increased significantly, “with growth rates reaching 8% between 2024 and 2025.”

According to the CAM official, the new routes launched last year were specifically targeted at the Southeast Asian market, “not only expanding international coverage but also creating more opportunities for regional cooperation.”