The MSAR government is considering expanding the city’s international airport, with the first phase being to reclaim the water area nearby the airport.
According to the Macau International Airport Master Plan released by the Civic Aviation Authority, the expansion is necessary due to some of the facilities already being at capacity, such as the general aviation facilities, the passenger terminal and the road transport facilities, while some others ‘will become saturated very soon and therefore no longer meeting the demand and affecting the service quality.’
The proposed expansion programme consists of three stages, with the ultimate aim being to expand its capacity to accommodate a maximum of 15 million passengers, 58,000 tons of freight as well as 107,000 aircraft movements per year. In addition, it expects to increase the number of aircraft stands to 47, of which 20 would be equipped with loading bridges.
For the first phase of the project, the authorities will initially need to reclaim the water area between the current two taxiways in order to create more land for the expansion, in addition to the construction of a business aviation terminal.
‘In 2017, the SAR Government will apply to the central government for land reclamation in the water area between the two taxiways that link the artificial island and the apron, as well as the surrounding water area,’ the authority wrote.
In later stages, the authority also plans to build a new passenger terminal linkage to the Pac On Ferry Terminal, as well as reconstructing the aircraft maintenance hangar, parking apron and business jets hangar.
The airport, which commenced operations in 1995, currently has 24 passenger aircraft stands, with the terminal building covering a total of 45,000 square metres.
Last year, the airport registered a new record in passenger volume in 21 years. Total passenger volume reached over 6.6 million for the year, with over 56,000 aircraft movements recorded, up by 14 per cent and 2 per cent year-on-year, respectively.
The master plan, initiated in 2010, aimed to integrate the airport with the developments in the Pan-Pearl River Delta. The first draft of the plan was released in 2011.
Yet following a request by the airport operator, Macau International Airport Company Limited (CAM), to build a new business jet hangar, and with its improved financial situation after obtaining financial support from shareholders, the plan was later updated and completed in the fourth quarter of 2015.
‘In accordance with the Master Plan, the airport concessionaire will devise their business plan to detail how they will implement the project and arrange the relevant financing,’ the authority notes.
