Macau International Airport

[hkskyline]

Commercial flight movements at Macao's airport down 7 pct in 2008

MACAO, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Commercial flight movements at the Macao International Airport decreased by 7 percent year-on-year to 46,036 in 2008, according to the figures released on Friday by the city's Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).

The DSEC figures showed that the Chinese mainland and China's Taiwan, and Malaysia were the major routes that accounted for 27 percent, 38 percent, and 10 percent of the total commercial flights to/from Macao. Helicopter flights between Macao and Hong Kong totaled 17,553 and those between Macao and mainland were 2, 933, down by 1 percent and 4 percent respectively from 2007.

Outward air cargo fell sharply by 40 percent year-on-year to 41, 548 tons in 2008. China's Taiwan and mainland were the main destinations that accounted for 67 percent and 11 percent of the total, respectively. Meanwhile, inward air cargo decreased by 27 percent to 16,705 tons, with those from Taiwan taking a predominant share of 83 percent. Transit air cargo dropped significantly by 52 percent over 2007 to 42,515 tons.

In addition, traffic flow by land between Macao and the mainland decreased by 1 percent to 3.79 million vehicle trips and the Border Gate in 2008, which connects Macao with the neighboring mainland city Zhuhai, was the major passage that took up 81 percent of the total.

As for passenger transport by sea, the transport between Macao and Hong Kong decreased by 4 percent compared with 2007 to 84,375 ferry trips in 2008, while that between Macao and the mainland increased by 20 percent to 20,914 trips.

[hkskyline]

澳門航空去年虧損約４億澳門元
26 March 2009
新華社中文新聞

澳門航空董事會主席兼總經理趙曉航２６日表示，，比上年虧損增加２倍多。

澳門航空２６日舉行股東大會，趙曉航表示，澳門航空的目標市場已經調整，行銷策略以澳門為中心設計航班，也會增加澳門作為中轉站的機會，包括與中國國際航空合作，讓從澳門到北京的旅客可以前往其他地方。

[joxchiangmaithailand]

I love this airport

small but nice

I hope

I will go again soon.

[HereAndThere]

Korean budget airline to fly to Macau, Bangkok
Friday, 03 April 2009
Jin Air, Korean Air's budget affiliate, has selected China and Thailand as its first two destinations for international service, the Korean Times reported yesterday.
The budget carrier, which started domestic service last July, said it would start international operation starting in October to Macau and Bangkok. Airfare will be about 80 percent of that of full service carriers.

Some positive news after suspension of 2 airlines.
Thai carrier Bangkok Airways announced the suspension of its daily Bangkok-Macau route from March 28 because the number of passengers has decreased significantly. Malaysia Airlines (MAS) are also suspending its current daily Macau-Kuala Lumpur route around the end of March.

[Blackraven]

Wow, there are quite a number of Filipinos working in this airport. Heck, I was even shocked when one airport official working there approached me and asked: "Kelangan nyo ho ba ng tulong sa check-in? (Do you need any help/assistance in checking-in?)"

Wow, talk about the local touch even when I'm not in my home country (the Philippines).

Anyways, it's my first time to visit the small airport so I'm not really sure as to what feedback I should give about it.

[hkskyline]

Airlines cutting back on service to Macau
22 June 2009
South China Morning Post

Flight cancellations by airlines serving Macau have soared in the wake of the financial crisis, as hard-hit carriers struggle to respond to plunging cargo volumes and passenger traffic.

China Eastern Airlines has cancelled all of its scheduled flights to and from the gaming hub in the first three months of the year, compared with an already dismal 67.7 per cent cancellation rate in the second half of last year, figures from the Macau Civil Aviation Authority show.

Fujian-based Xiamen Airlines slashed 59 per cent of Macau flights and Malaysia Airlines cancelled 38 per cent. Debt-laden East Star, a private carrier based in Wuhan whose licence was revoked by regulators in March, slashed 40 per cent of its Macau flights in the first quarter.

Financially troubled flag carrier Air Macau, which captured 35.1 per cent of passenger market share on Macau routes during the first four months of the year, cancelled 9 per cent of its flights in the first quarter.

Separately, local press reports last week said Portuguese carrier TAP was considering selling its 15 per cent stake in Air Macau, which is 51 per cent held by state-owned China National Aviation Corporation.

Aviation authority president Simon Chan Wing-hung said in a written reply to local legislators that the cancellations were due not only to the effects of the financial crisis, but the increase in the number of direct flights between the mainland and Taiwan. Flights to and from Taiwan still accounted for 43.5 per cent of Macau's total air traffic in the year to April. The figure was up from 40.69 per cent of passenger traffic last year but down from 46 per cent in 2007.

But Mr Chan said low-cost airlines appeared to be riding out the downturn better and had suffered few, if any, cancellations. Malaysia-based Air Asia cancelled none of its Macau flights in the first quarter and captured a 14.7 per cent market share on passenger traffic. Homegrown budget airline Viva Macau cancelled only 4 per cent of its flights and had a 3.9 per cent market share.

In the first four months of the year, passenger traffic in Macau fell 21.7 per cent from a year ago, while cargo volumes plummeted 65.7 per cent, according to figures from Macau International Airport. Aircraft movements have declined 22.4 per cent over the same period.

Visitor arrivals by plane and helicopter accounted for 7.9 per cent of Macau's total visits in April, while 41.8 per cent of visitors arrived by sea and 50.3 per cent by land.

[Gwo Loo Waan]

When something bad or not positive happens in Macau, there is always someone from HK to post it... I would like to understand why...

Ah, Macau Airport is not in deep shit...

[hkskyline]

Originally Posted by Gwo Loo Waan

When something bad or not positive happens in Macau, there is always someone from HK to post it... I would like to understand why...

Ah, Macau Airport is not in deep shit...

Because Macau is close to Hong Kong. What happens in one place will likely be well-covered by another. I'm quite sure if something really big happened in Hong Kong, good or bad, Macau will know about it. Don't think either city lives in its own secluded bubble.

Looking at the air traffic statistics published by the Macau Airport website (http://www.macau-airport.gov.mo/site...passengers.php), the picture looks quite dire. There is a significant drop in # of passengers.

[Gwo Loo Waan]

What happens is, when something bad happens in Macau, we always see a HK forum participant coming here and the posting news. When something good happens in Macau, we don't see any of them. Hong Kong style!

There is a significant drop in # of passengers in Macau Airport but it was expected. It is not going to close 'cause of that, don't worry.

[hkskyline]

Originally Posted by Gwo Loo Waan

What happens is, when something bad happens in Macau, we always see a HK forum participant coming here and the posting news. When something good happens in Macau, we don't see any of them. Hong Kong style!

There is a significant drop in # of passengers in Macau Airport but it was expected. It is not going to close 'cause of that, don't worry.

Well, there isn't much good news happening in the aviation sector around the world lately. Don't think this should come as a surprise to anyone, and Macau is no exception. However, Macau's reliance on cross-strait flights and small domestic market means the downturn will be more severely felt. For good news, there are quite a few which I've posted right in this thread :
Post 61 - New airlines take to the skies
Post 62 - Hong Kong investors take up stake in new planned carrier
Post 72 - Nok Air comes to Macau
Post 74 - East Star comes to Macau
Post 77 - Viva wins award

There are a few more lurking around. I just checked most of one page so far.

[hkskyline]

Air China buys 1.25 pct Air Macau stake -report

HONG KONG, July 15 (Reuters) - Two companies controlled by Macau Chief Executive Edmund Ho have sold a combined 1.25 percent stake in financially troubled Air Macau to a unit of China flagship carrier Air China , the South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

The stake sale for an undisclosed sum was confirmed by sources at Air China , a unit of Air Macau controlling shareholder China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC). The deal comes weeks after Air Macau's shareholders voted to approve a 507.3 million pataca (US$65 million) rescue package by the Macau government, the newspaper said.

Ho, whose term ay the top post in Macau ends in December, was a founding shareholder of Air Macau when the airline was set up in 1994.

CNAC's voting interest in the Macau airline increases to 52.25 percent following the deal, the paper said.

Other shareholders include Portugese airline TAP, which holds a 15 percent stake, and Sociedade de Turismoe Diversoes de Macau with 14 percent. Portugese-owned lender BNU, Taiwan's Evergreen Airways and the Macau government each hold 5 percent.

It gave no further financial details.

Late on Tuesday, Air China said it expected to see at least a 50 percent year-on-year rise in profit for the first half of 2009 as fuel purchase costs fell and the domestic air passenger market showed stable growth.

[Gwo Loo Waan]

1.25 pct is about nothing. Air China still controls Air Macau and everyone else wants to sell their stakes in the company. That's a deep hole.

[Gwo Loo Waan]

Jin Air to fly to Macau in October

Jin Air, a budget air carrier owned by Korean Air, will start operating its first international flights to Macau four times a week in October.

Jin Air plans to operate international flights on October 29 to two popular destinations in Asia - Bangkok and Macau. We are the first flagship carrier to operate direct flights to Macau,” Kim Jae-kun, president of the air carrier, told reporters.

The air carrier also plans to begin operations to Osaka and Weihai of China in December and to Guam in January next year, saying it will offer services 20-30 percent cheaper than major airlines connecting Incheon to those Asian cities.

Jin Air said the air carrier was targeting 80 billion won (US$63.2) in sales revenue this year, a massive increase from last year's 10.2 billion won. By 2010, the air carrier plans to post an operating profit with 150 billion won in sales.

Under its new slogan, Save the Air, the budget carrier plans to offer discounts for passengers flying without baggage starting in September. The company said this was to reduce fuel consumption. Jin Air is a low cost airline based in Seoul, South Korea. It is a subsidiary of Korean Air. The airline began operations in July 2008.

in www.macaubusiness.com

Good news!

[Epilif]

Originally Posted by hkskyline

Air China buys 1.25 pct Air Macau stake -report

HONG KONG, July 15 (Reuters) - Two companies controlled by Macau Chief Executive Edmund Ho have sold a combined 1.25 percent stake in financially troubled Air Macau to a unit of China flagship carrier Air China , the South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

The stake sale for an undisclosed sum was confirmed by sources at Air China , a unit of Air Macau controlling shareholder China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC). The deal comes weeks after Air Macau's shareholders voted to approve a 507.3 million pataca (US$65 million) rescue package by the Macau government, the newspaper said.

Ho, whose term ay the top post in Macau ends in December, was a founding shareholder of Air Macau when the airline was set up in 1994.

CNAC's voting interest in the Macau airline increases to 52.25 percent following the deal, the paper said.

Other shareholders include Portugese airline TAP, which holds a 15 percent stake, and Sociedade de Turismoe Diversoes de Macau with 14 percent. Portugese-owned lender BNU, Taiwan's Evergreen Airways and the Macau government each hold 5 percent.

It gave no further financial details.

Late on Tuesday, Air China said it expected to see at least a 50 percent year-on-year rise in profit for the first half of 2009 as fuel purchase costs fell and the domestic air passenger market showed stable growth.

Those newspapers... Its Portuguese, not Portugese!

[Gwo Loo Waan]

Hong Kong press... the very best in the world!

[MacauVillager28]

Wot country is Portugal in ?

[Gwo Loo Waan]

As far as I know European Union is not a country but an economic and political union of 27 member states.

[Epilif]

Originally Posted by MacauVillager28

Wot country is Portugal in ?

From someone whose nick is Macau you should really know where Portugal, because we (Portugal) owned Macau for a long long time...

[Gwo Loo Waan]

Sorry mate, he is not Macanese or a Macau citizen. He is one of those "cowboys" who thinks that Macau was born in 2001. Then Mr Adelson comes to the press wondering why there is strong anti-America sentiment in Macau...

[Epilif]

Originally Posted by Gwo Loo Waan

Sorry mate, he is not Macanese or a Macau citizen. He is one of those "cowboys" who thinks that Macau was born in 2001. Then Mr Adelson comes to the press wondering why there is strong anti-America sentiment in Macau...