AirAsia keen on Macau operational hub

Having pulled out of a China based joint venture last year, AirAsia is mulling a back door route into the country.

Air Asia Group CEO Tony Fernandez is keen to explore the possibility of opening an operational hub in Macau to tap into the China market.

"If the chance opens up we may not have to be in Mainland China. Being in Macau is like being in China anyway," Fernandes said in an interview with the South China Morning post.

AirAsia has been serving Macau for about 15 years and now links it with cities across Southeast Asia including  six destinations in Thailand, Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia and Manila, Cebu and Kalibo in the Philippines.

AirAsia previously hinted it would consider a bid for a local airline concession in Macau, and that could happen next year when Air Macau’s exclusive license is up for renewal.

AirAsia’s planned China based joint venture was scrapped last year with Fernandes telling the SCMP it was suspended as it would have made little progress in capturing a meaningful percentage of the vast China market.