MACAU, CHINA. Macau International Airport is predicted to serve 50,000 passengers during the five-day Lunar New Year period, up +92.3% year-on-year.
While that represents only 28% of the all-time high 180,000 passengers served over the equivalent period in pre-pandemic 2019 (5-10 February), according to Macau International Airport (CAM) the increase will nonetheless be encouraging for the airport and its retail partners China Duty Free (Macau) – a partnership between King Power Group (HK) and China Duty Free Group – and The Shilla Duty Free.
The airport operator noted in a press release the gradual resumption of flights since Macau lifted COVID-related travel restrictions on 8 January.
Last year, the airport served just 26,000 passengers during the Lunar New Year holiday period amid strict travel restrictions.
Since Mainland China and Macau reopened their borders early this month, the airport has witnessed an accelerating resumption of flights. CAM now serves 11 airlines flying to 29 destinations, including ten that were added recently. In addition to Air Macau, there are six airlines from the Mainland, two from Taiwan, and two from Southeast Asia.
More airlines are scheduled to resume flights in March, including Tigerair Taiwan, Hainan Airlines, Sichuan Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines. Charter flight operators are also planning to restart flights from Macau to overseas destinations such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Palau.
The Macau Government Tourism Office last week said that daily inbound tourist arrivals through all entry channels during the Lunar New Year period are expected to reach between 40,000 and 50,000 .
*Camille Bersola, based in Manila, formerly hosted television news and current affairs Teledifusão De Macau from 2015 to 2021. 
