Macao and mainland aeronautical authorities will sign a new MOU on air transport

The Civil Aviation Authority of Macao SAR (AACM) and the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) will sign a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on air transport on 11 December 2006 in Beijing. The Secertary for Transport and Public Works, Ao Man Long and the Vice Minister of CAAC, Gao HongFeng, will officiate the ceremony as guests of honour. 

To cope with the demand of air transport between the mainland and Macao, AACM and CAAC signed a new MOU in November 2004 which has liberalized the air transport market between the two places by increasing the number of mainland destinations, raising the capacity and liberalizing the designation of airlines and so on. Since the signing of this 2004 MOU, the air transport market between the two places has developed so rapidly that in order to grasp the opportunities arising from individual traveling policy and the economic boom in Macao, the two aeronautical authorities have then made several contacts and exchanged ideas hoping to create more liberal conditions for the development of the present and the future market. The two parties met in Beijing in October this year to hold new negotiations and concluded with even more liberal conditions to satisfy the market growth between the mainland and Macao, particularly in increasing more mainland destinations and eliminating the capacity restrictions for most of the destinations and so on, allowing room for expansion of the airlines in the future. 

In addition to achieving the above results, AACM has again raised the issue of allowing Macao’s airlines to fly to mainland cities and beyond to other foreign cities in the negotiations. The two parties exchanged views on this issue. However, under the “one country two systems” policy and in accordance with the Basic Law, the Macao SAR government has the autonomy to sign its own air services agreements with other foreign countries. This issue has, therefore, raised a technical question to the present legal framework of international air transportation. CAAC would therefore need to make a more thorough and complete study on this issue. Despite this, the two parties agreed to discuss the issue in later times. 

Furthermore, the new MOU also allows the increase in the capacity for helicopter services between Macao and Shenzhen. With regard to the issue of operating helicopter services between Macao and Jiangmen, AACM has actually discussed the matter with CAAC since several years ago. But due to the mainland air space control and technical factors like customs, immigration and quarantine, CAAC would need more time to resolve the issue. 

Since the handover and the liberalization of the gaming industry, Macao has been enjoying its economic boom. Together with the liberalization of the individual traveling market, the number of tourists to Macao increases year-on-year. The aviation market has also benefited from the boom. AACM will continue to follow the guideline of the SAR government in adopting liberal policies in aviation. AACM will ensure aviation safety and meanwhile adopt flexible policies to cope with the need of the industry so as to create a better business environment.