Commencement of Macau International Airport Expansion and Reclamation Project Marks a New Development Milestone for Civil Aviation Industry of Macau
- 2024-11-22
Macau International Airport Company Limited (CAM) held the Macau International Airport (MIA) Expansion and Reclamation Project Groundbreaking Ceremony on 22nd November 2024 at MIA. The ceremony was attended by distinguished guests including Mr. Ho Iat Seng, Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), Mr. Zheng Xincong, Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Mr. Liu Xianfa, Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR, Mr. Kou Hoi In, President of the Legislative Assembly of the Macao SAR, Mr. Raimundo Arrais do Rosário, Secretary for Transport and Public Works of the Macao SAR, Mr. Wang Haihuai, Executive Director and President of China Communications Construction Company Limited, Ms. Liang Nan, Deputy Administrator of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, Mr. Pun Wa Kin, President of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Macao SAR, Mr. Ma Iao Hang, Chairman of the Board of Directors of CAM, Ms. Ho Chiu Fung, Daisy,
representative of Sociedade de Turismo e Divers~oes de Macau, S.A., Mr. Chan Weng Hong, Chairman of the Executive Committee of CAM, Mr. Chu Tan Neng, Executive Director of CAM, Mr. Kan Cheok Kuan, Executive Director of CAM, Mr. Lei Si Tai, Executive Director of CAM, and Mr. Leung Henry Yee Hang, Executive Director of CAM. Over a hundred representatives from the Executive Council of the Macao SAR, Legislative Assembly of the Macao SAR, relevant government departments, airport operating units, project consultants and construction units witnessed the official commencement of Macau International Airport Expansion and Reclamation Project.
The initiation of Macau International Airport Expansion and Reclamation Project signifies a new development era of civil aviation industry of Macau and represents a significant investment to enhance international competitiveness of Macau. With the rapid growth of tourism and trade in Macau, it is essential for Macau International Airport to continually improve its facilities to meet the surging demand of passenger and cargo transport. In his speech, Chairman Ma Iao Hang expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Central Government and the SAR Government for their long-standing support for Macau International Airport. He emphasized that the airport team would spare no effort in advancing the project to ensure its orderly progress and thanked all government authorities and the airport team for their support and hard work on the project. Chairman Ma noted that the project will be executed in phases as planned, with a reclamation area exceeding 129 hectares. The entire project is expected to be completed by 2030, at which point the total usable area of the airport will be expanded to 325 hectares, providing ample reserve for future development of the airport. Upon completion of the reclamation, the annual passenger handling capacity of Macau International Airport will increase to 13 million.
He also stated that with the expansion of land resources, the airport capacity for passenger and cargo transport, as well as its service facilities would be significantly enhanced, laying a solid foundation for the sustained development of Macau International Airport and contributing to the growth of civil aviation and tourism sectors of Macau. MIA will continue aligning with the “1+4” moderate diversification development strategy of SAR Government, consistently improving its facilities to provide passenger with efficient and convenient travel environment as well as high-quality and comfortable air services, further enhancing reputation of “golden business card” of Macau as an international metropolis.
During the groundbreaking ceremony, Chairman Chan Weng Hong provided an overview of the project. Following the official approval for the land reclamation project by Central Government in October 2022, CAM promptly established a “Macau International Airport Expansion and Reclamation Working Group” to systematically initiate preliminary preparations, including tenders of engineering consultancy services, project design and planning, environmental protection measures, tender for “MIA Expansion Project - Construction Works for Reclamation and Apron”, and applications of maritime facility permit for the project, as well as coordination with relevant authorities for the modification of the land concession contract. Afterwards, Macau International Airport has officially obtained the land concession on 3rd October 2024. Chairman Chan stated that the project design takes into account environmental considerations and ecological restoration compensation measures. He introduced that one-year environmental and hydrologic baseline monitoring prior to construction has been completed, and inert materials will be employed for land reclamation to relieve the pressure on construction material waste landfill of Macau. In addition, environmental and hydrologic monitoring will take place regularly, and post-completion monitoring will continue for five years to assess environmental conditions, so as to further promote the construction of green airport and enhance the sustainable development of Macau International Airport. The construction will adopt a non-disruptive approach, with certain work scheduled for the evening hours. During this period, the runway will be closed accordingly, while MIA will proactively coordinate with airlines to arrange flight schedules in advance, thereby minimizing the impact on airport operations. The project is anticipated to be carried out across six reclamation areas and involves the construction of a new drainage passage between the runway and the apron. Furthermore, the taxiway system will be expanded and optimized, and runway rapid exits will be introduced. Concurrently, the apron will undergo renovation with the addition of aircraft stands and related ancillary facilities. It is expected that two new taxiways and the newly built apron will be completed by 2028, after which the existing taxiways will be dismantled.
The successful holding of this groundbreaking ceremony marks a new chapter in the development of Macau International Airport and injects momentum into the flourishing civil aviation industry in Macau. With the official implementation of the airport expansion and reclamation project, the role of Macau International Airport as an important gateway for Macau will be strengthened, providing a safer air bridge for citizens and travellers, facilitating the flow of people and goods, and further enhancing exchanges between Macau and the international community. Macau International Airport will remain committed to its core value of “Safety, Efficiency, Effectiveness” and dedicated to improving service quality and assuring that every airport user enjoys a safe and stress-free airport experience. We look forward to each flight conveying culture and charm of Macau to destinations around the world, attracting more international travellers to Macau and further solidifying its position as an international tourism city.