Licenças de acordos aéreos

 jul25

The Macau Civil Aviation Authority (AACM) is in talks with Saudi Arabia to establish a bilateral air services agreement, paving the way for regular flights between the two jurisdictions and bolstering the city’s efforts to attract more visitors from the Middle East.

This latest development was disclosed in a written response by Pun Wa Kin, president of the AACM, to an enquiry from legislator Lam Lon Wai regarding Macau’s air traffic rights and its strategy for expanding international connectivity.

Among the 50 air service agreements Macau has signed to date, several include key Middle Eastern nations, namely the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar, providing a legal framework for air transport between Macau and these countries, Pun said in the reply published this week.

Bilateral air service agreements are treaties that determine the terms for commercial flights between two territories, including permitted routes, flight frequencies and operational conditions.

“The AACM is in discussions with Saudi Arabia’s aviation regulator to establish a bilateral air service agreement, with formal negotiations expected later this year,” the authority said. “The goal is to lay the legal groundwork for launching regular flight services between the two regions as soon as possible.”

While direct passenger routes between Macau and the Middle East are yet to be established, Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways currently operate cargo services that transit through Macau, according to the AACM.

Visa-free entry for Middle Eastern states

In a related move, the Macau government last month announced that citizens from five Middle Eastern countries—Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman—would be granted visa-free entry to Macau from 16 July. Nationals of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including those from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, already enjoy visa-free access.

These efforts align with Macau’s broader strategy to diversify its visitor base and tap into the Middle East, an emerging international source market that has been increasingly targeted by destinations worldwide in recent years.

Macau welcomed over 2.42 million international visitors in 2024, marking a 66 percent year-on-year increase and accounting for 6.94 percent of total arrivals.

In the first five months of 2025, Macau welcomed over 1.14 million overseas visitors, marking a 17.1 percent year-on-year increase and accounting for 7 percent of total arrivals. However, if this pace continues, the city is likely to fall short of its full-year target of 3 million international tourists.

Long-haul destinations

Regarding the city’s efforts to boost international connectivity, the Macau International Airport Company Limited (CAM), the airport’s operator, is actively implementing incentive schemes and engaging with targeted airlines to open new routes, the AACM said.

Although Macau currently lacks direct long-haul connections to destinations like Europe, the aviation authority noted that passengers can access global destinations via convenient transfers in major regional hubs such as Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo and Taipei.

For instance, the Macau–Frankfurt route via Beijing has seen “a steady increase in passenger traffic” and is “gradually emerging as a viable option for travel between Macau and Europe,” the AACM added.

The Macau International Airport handled 3.61 million passengers in the first half of 2025, representing a 3.2 percent year-on-year decline, CAM reported this week. Apart from January, passenger traffic fell year-on-year in each of the remaining five months.

Government data showed that airport arrivals from Mainland China and Hong Kong declined 9.1 percent and 10.4 percent year-on-year respectively in the first five months of 2025. However, international arrivals via the airport rose 8.4 percent year-on-year.

https://www.macaubusiness.com/macau-in-talks-with-saudi-arabia-for-bilateral-air-services-agreement-govt/