10 April 2008

Macau braces for EVA Airways pullout

MACAU - The Macau International Airport saw passenger throughput grow six per cent to 1.33 million in the first quarter but Destination Macau says that more worrying for the aviation authorities in Macau is the election of Ma Ying-jeou as president of Taiwan.

EVA Airways, one of the biggest Taiwanese carriers serving transit passengers going through Macau to the mainland, is known to be well prepared for direct flights once Ma works out the details with the central government, and will probably skip Macau to go direct to Hangzhou on the eastern seaboard.

David Fei, chief executive of Air Macau, meanwhile, said the opening of direct links would have ââ¬Åâœno impactââ¬~ on the airlineââ¬â¢s business, as it would ââ¬Åâœstimulateââ¬~ its ââ¬Åâœdeterminationââ¬~ to increase the number of international routes it currently has the rights to fly on.

Macau International Airport executives told the Macau Post Daily that they plan to convert the airport from a transit facility into a ââ¬Åâœdestination airportââ¬~.

Destination Macau asked, ââ¬ÅâœHow this can be achieved under the current regulatory system, whereby a single airline ââ¬' Air Macau ââ¬' holds a monopoly concession on all routes originating in Macau, remains to be seen.ââ¬~

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