Macau International Airport Aims To Carve Niche In Greater Bay Area

HONG KONG—Macau International Airport (MFM) is seeking to carve out a unique value proposition within the competitive Greater Bay Area (GBA), a market long dominated by the major hubs in Hong Kong and Guangzhou. 

A key strategy involves boosting its transfer offerings for passengers from the GBA's western side, including Zhuhai.

Macau's Marketing Director Eric Fong told Aviation Week on the sidelines of Routes World in Hong Kong that 80% of its passengers are mainland Chinese, with traffic flows to Southeast and Northeast Asia. Despite its relatively small capacity of 12 million passengers, transfer traffic already accounts for 10% of Macau's volume. The airport serves as an international gateway for travelers from Zhuhai, which lacks its own international airport.

Fong expressed interest in establishing long-haul services, specifically to Istanbul, to tap into Turkish Airlines’ extensive European and global network. This would also leverage potential synergy between the carrier and Star Alliance connecting partner Air Macau. He also noted a 7% year-on-year increase in passenger volume from Taiwan, with EVA Air and Starlux Airlines occasionally deploying widebody aircraft on the route to meet demand.

Passenger numbers are projected to reach 7.6 million in 2025. While international traffic grew 5% year on year from January through August, the 2025 forecast remains at about 80% of pre-pandemic levels.

To support future growth, Macau Airport is undergoing a land reclamation project to add 25 new aircraft parking stands, although the terminal size remains unchanged. The initiative aims to increase annual passenger capacity to 15 million by 2030.