Higher fuel costs put pressure on airlines: AACM

The sharp rise in aviation fuel prices since around April this year has placed considerable pressure on airlines’ operations, driving up costs for both local and foreign carriers – a trend the authority has been monitoring, along with flight cancellations, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (AACM).

AACM president Pun Wa Kin reiterated to reporters on Wednesday that the government has instructed the airlines concerned to keep cancellations and rescheduling to a minimum, stressing that higher oil prices have pushed up costs and that local and foreign carriers alike have made similar adjustments.

“Not only local airlines, but foreign airlines have seen similar situations,” he said, adding that the authority has asked the airlines concerned to take proper safeguarding measures and to minimize cancellations or scheduling changes affecting passengers despite fuel-price pressure.

In the event of a cancellation, he said, guidelines consistent with international practice require airlines to protect passengers through full refunds, rebooking arrangements or transfers to another carrier.

Macau is pressing ahead with an ambitious plan to transform itself into an international air transport hub on the west bank of the Pearl River, with infrastructure upgrades, relaxed flight agreements and new route incentives all under way, Pun said.

Speaking on the sidelines of his address to public broadcaster TDM’s radio program, where he discussed the Third Five-Year Plan’s call to build the city into such a hub, Pun outlined a strategy built on three pillars: infrastructure, coordinated development and route networks.

On the regulatory front, he said the authority is continuously reviewing existing flight agreements and is in talks with civil aviation authorities in some regions to relax clause restrictions. At the same time, the airport concessionaire is running incentive schemes to attract airlines to add frequencies, open new routes and develop interline services.

The centerpiece is the reclamation and expansion of Macau International Airport, now in full swing. Once completed, the total apron area will be substantially expanded, passenger handling capacity will rise to 13 million per year, and cargo capacity will increase to 500,000 tons annually in tandem with the Hengqin forward cargo station.

“Following the blueprint of the Third Five-Year Plan, Macau is fully committed to building itself into an international air transport hub on the west bank of the Pearl River,” Pun said. “The strategic goal is to first consolidate core aviation markets in Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia, while advancing medium- and long-haul international connecting flights.”

He added that the upgrades “will significantly enhance the airport’s operating capacity and reserve sufficient space for future development.”

The Consumer Council (CC) has received 39 complaints about flight cancellations involving local airlines, mainly Air Macau, as of September 10. Air Macau confirmed that more than 400 flights were cut year-on-year in July and August and nearly 200 more so far in September –bringing the total to over 600 cancellations or adjustments in recent months – affecting routes to multiple mainland cities as well as Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Singapore, Bangkok and Hanoi.

The airline attributed the cuts to international aviation fuel prices having more than doubled, combined with weaker low-season demand, saying such adjustments are common industry practice under cost pressure. It stressed that the cancellations were not arbitrary, that affected passengers were notified as early as possible, and that it would strive to keep flights stable over the Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays.

Airport to suspend night flights until 2029 for runway works

Macau International Airport will suspend flight movements daily from midnight to 8 a.m. between mid-next month and the second half of 2029 to facilitate reclamation and expansion works on the runway artificial island and apron, new taxiway construction, and concurrent runway rehabilitation, the airport announced.

The reclamation project began on April 30 last year, with the full project – including runway rehabilitation – expected to be completed by 2030. The airport said a full runway inspection has been completed, a rehabilitation plan is being drawn up, and monthly environmental reports will monitor water flows, noise and pollution throughout the five-year construction period.

Chung Mei Leng, deputy head of the CNS implementation team, said yesterday the navigation and surveillance system replacement project covers eight categories and will make maximum use of nighttime runway closures to minimize disruption. She said the existing system has operated well, and the replacement aims to align future air traffic control capacity with the expansion.

Senior airport duty manager Lai Pan Tai said the airport began communicating with operators and airlines a year in advance, and that contingency plans are in place for severe weather or widespread delays. He said the airport currently handles more than 160 flights daily, with National Day flight numbers little changed year-on-year but passenger volume up about 8%.