In August 2006, the Macau International Airport (MIA) has recorded a significant number of 478,475 passengers within a month which was almost equivalent of the total population of Macau. MIA handled 4.9 million passengers in the whole year.
The management company of MIA, the Administration of Airports Ltd. (ADA) served MIA since 1994; it witnessed the commencement of MIA in November 1995.
"In the past, passengers treated the Macau International Airport as a transient," said Alfred Ng, commercial director of ADA. "Nowadays, passengers from Malaysia visit Macau via Air Asia as their terminal destination."
Viva Macau, Air Asia, Tiger Airways, Shenzhen Airlines and Hainan Airlines as new participant airlines of MIA in recent years, have brought more convenience to travelers. Moreover, they diversified the flight routes of MIA, a source cited.
Passengers from Taiwan and mainland China are the major source of travelers of MIA in 2006, representing 50 percent and 16 percent of the total travelers respectively. Excluding Taiwan travelers, tourists from mainland China account for 61.7 percent in the non-Taiwan market and South East Asian travelers 36.9 percent.
In 2006, MIA planned to invest MOP4 billion to extend and improve its capital construction. In order to catch up with the rapid economic development stimulated by booming tourism and meet the increasing demand for air transport in Macau, a series of infrastructure projects will be carried out accordingly in five years.
Ng explained that as more and more airlines are using the MIA, aircraft aprons are not large enough during busy hours.
Aprons will be extended to the sea in order to alleviate "the air traffic jam" during busy hours. The north car parking area may be reconstructed as an extension of the departure building, Ng said.
The south apron's expansion will be in service very soon. MIA has also planned to improve the existing facilities including the water filtering system, the Security Check Station at Gate No.2, and adding new smoking lounges, etc., a source cited.
"I am very positive about the future of the MIA", Ng said.
The ADA is a Sino-Portuguese joint-venture, specializing in operating and managing airports. They signed a 15-years service contract with CAM-Sociedade do Aeroporto Internacional de Macau, S.A.R.L., the airport owner company. The 15 years operational services will be expired in 2009.
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