Hengqin cargo terminal begins pilot air cargo operations

The Hengqin Upstream Cargo Terminal has entered substantive operations following the launch of its first pilot air cargo palletizing shipment and flight on Wednesday, marking a step toward its planned official opening next year.

The terminal is designed to relocate the export acceptance, security screening and palletizing of air cargo handled through Macau International Airport to Hengqin, enabling closer integration between the airport and the Hengqin facility.

To ensure the cross-border movement of cargo is secure and compliant, Mainland and Macau customs authorities have introduced a joint supervision system using the “Guangdong-Macau Customs Cross-border One Lock” and an “Aviation Security Lock.” Advanced information technology will also provide full-process cargo traceability.

Meanwhile, CAM-Macau International Airport Company Ltd. has revised the Macau International Airport Security Programme to incorporate cargo transported through the Hengqin terminal into its security monitoring system. The revised program was approved by the Civil Aviation Authority in August.

Authorities said the first shipment and flight served to verify the effectiveness of the preparatory arrangements and further streamline procedures ahead of the terminal’s official operation.

Construction of the terminal’s main structural works is progressing, with completion and acceptance targeted for the first quarter of 2027. Once operational, the facility is expected to handle up to 300,000 tons of cargo annually.

Combined with the Macau International Airport expansion project, which is expected to be completed in 2030, the airport’s overall annual cargo handling capacity is projected to reach 500,000 tons.

Authorities said the development is expected to strengthen Macau’s role in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and support the city’s development as an international air transport hub on the western bank of the Pearl River.