Fuel price surge forces Air Macau to cancel another 400 flights

Air Macau canceled more than 400 flights for May and June, contributing to a slowdown in passenger traffic at Macau International Airport during the first three quarters of 2025 amid airline schedule adjustments, a weaker economic environment and regional uncertainties.

Air Macau confirmed reports that it scrapped more than 400 round-trip flights, primarily in May and June, affecting routes to various mainland Chinese cities as well as Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.

The airline attributed the cancellations to a sharp rise in international jet fuel prices, which surged 110% from USD97 to USD205 per barrel. “We have no choice but to adjust some of our flights,” the carrier said, adding that such adjustments are a common practice in the international aviation industry to cope with rising fuel costs.

Air Macau said it will continue to dynamically adjust its flight schedules based on international jet fuel price trends, having already prioritized measures such as raising fuel surcharges and optimizing ticket pricing.

The airline said it chose to adjust schedules in advance to allow passengers more planning time and help maintain the stability of Macau’s external transport network as a tourist destination. Affected passengers will be notified at least two weeks in advance and offered several options: free rebooking to another Air Macau flight to the same destination on the same day or within one day before or after; free rebooking to an Air Macau flight to a different destination within the same country or region; free rebooking to a same-day partner airline flight to the same destination, with Air Macau covering ground transport costs; or a full refund.

The airline also noted that continued increases in fuel surcharges will directly raise travel costs for passengers.

Airport traffic

recovers slightly in Q4

The city’s airport, according to its 2025 annual report, handled 58,196 flight movements in 2025, a year-on-year decrease of 2.9%, while passenger traffic fell 1.6% to 7.52 million.

The report from the airport concessionaire said that although air traffic performance slowed during the first three quarters, passenger numbers rebounded in the fourth quarter as airlines added flights, leaving overall annual traffic largely unchanged from the previous year.

Currently, 29 airlines operate at Macau International Airport, with traditional carriers accounting for 77% of the market and low-cost carriers 23%, serving 47 destinations across mainland China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia.

By route region, passengers traveling to and from mainland China accounted for 42% of total traffic, routes to Taiwan, China accounted for 20%, and routes to Southeast and Northeast Asia represented 38%.