Fully advancing the construction of the Hengqin Cargo Terminal to help Macao become a regional aviation hub

The Macau International Airport Hengqin Cargo Terminal is one of the four major projects promoting the diversification of Macao’s economy. It is an important deployment that closely aligns with the national 15th Five-Year Plan and the Macao SAR’s Third Five-Year Plan, actively integrating into the overall national development strategy. The core of the Hengqin Cargo Terminal is to move the export acceptance, security screening, and palletizing processes for air cargo through Macao International Airport to Hengqin, achieving seamless connection and cargo interconnectivity between Macao International Airport and the Hengqin Upstream Cargo Terminal . With the pilot air cargo palletizing business of the Hengqin Upstream Cargo Terminal  launching its first shipment and first flight on 26 August 2026, the project has entered the stage of substantive operation, laying a solid foundation for the official operation of the Hengqin Upstream Cargo Terminal  next year.

To ensure smooth and compliant business processes, the Mainland Customs and the Macao Customs have implemented a joint supervision model of “Guangdong-Macao Customs ‘Cross-border One Lock’ and ‘Aviation Security Lock’” and advanced information technology is used to achieve full-process cargo traceability. At the same time, to improve aviation security procedures, CAM-Macau International Airport Company Ltd. has revised the Macao International Airport Security Programme, fully incorporating the cargo transportation of the Hengqin Upstream Cargo Terminal into the monitoring scope. The revised version was approved by the Civil Aviation Authority in August this year. The first shipment and first flight business launched on 26 August 2026 has verified the effectiveness of the preparatory work and further smoothed the business processes for the official operation of the Hengqin Upstream Cargo Terminal next year.

The main structural works of the Hengqin Upstream Cargo Terminal are currently being fully advanced to ensure completion and acceptance in the first quarter of 2027. Looking ahead, after completion, the Hengqin Upstream Cargo Terminal will have an annual handling capacity of 300,000 tonnes of cargo. Combined with the Macao International Airport expansion project expected to be completed in 2030, the overall cargo handling capacity of Macau International Airport will jump to 500,000 tonnes per year. This enhancement will strengthen Macao’s comprehensive competitive advantages within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and help Macao build itself into an “Macao Pearl River West Bank International Air Transport Hub (Port)”.

The main structural construction of the Macau International Airport Hengqin Cargo Terminal is currently in full progress, with completion and acceptance scheduled in the first quarter of 2027.