Xi’s arrival puts normal operations on a halt

The three-day visit of President Xi Jinping to Macau to participate in the commemorations of the 25th anniversary of the Macau handover and inaugurate the new government headed by Sam Hou Fai has resulted in a series of small-scale disruptions to the city.

Starting with Macau International Airport (MIA), Xi’s arrival and related security measures led to the temporary closure of the North and South car parks from Dec. 9 to 20.

Vehicle owners parked at the car parks were required to move their cars by Dec. 16 to avoid having them forcibly removed by airport authorities.

Flight schedules at MIA were also affected yesterday afternoon, with several cancellations and reschedules.

The Air China flight from Wuhan, which was expected to arrive at 3 p.m., was canceled, while the China Eastern flight from Shanghai-Pudong, expected to land in Macau at 3:30 p.m., arrived early in Macau at 1:16 p.m.

Several Air Macau flights were also affected, including a flight from Beijing that was delayed from 4:05 p.m. to 4:59 p.m., and flights from Kaohsiung and Taipei, which were expected to land at 4:15 p.m. and 4:35 p.m. respectively but instead landed between 1:30 and 1:50 p.m.

The Air Macau flight from Shanghai, expected to arrive at 4:45 p.m., was postponed to 5:18 p.m., while the Vietjet Air flight from Danang landed around 30 minutes later than initially expected.

Departures also were affected, with 12 flights having schedule changes, particularly those due to depart between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Xi and his delegation touched down in Macau at 4:07 p.m. yesterday, following a welcoming reception at the airport apron.

Airport staff also reported delays and disruptions due to special security measures, including thorough checks and the issuance of special working passes, which took several hours to process.

The disrupted air traffic also affected the airport of the neighboring city of Zhuhai, with the air space interdicted for some time.

Around the city, several areas also experienced disruptions ranging from parking restrictions on certain streets, schedule changes, and even temporary closures of venues and touristic sites.

The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) announced the temporary closure of the Chapel of Our Lady Penha from Dec. 18, 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Dec. 20.

The notice was only published in a “Travel Advisory” note issued only at 1 p.m. yesterday, four hours after the venue had already closed to the public.

According to citizens’ reports, the area of the Macao Science Center also had some restrictions and changes, while the Macao East Asian Games Dome and surrounding areas were completely fenced off due to a dinner and cultural performance scheduled for today, which President Xi will attend.

On Tuesday, it was announced that services for the Light Rapid Transit would be suspended between Barra Station and Stadium Station from Dec. 18 to 20.

The LRT will continue to operate in the remaining stations but with limited services between Pai Kok Station and Taipa Ferry Terminal Station, with trains running every 10 minutes.