Air Macau made a net loss of 1.027 patacas last year, according to a statement published in the Official Gazette (BO) on Wednesday.
The airline set up in September 1994 reported operating receipts of 887 million patacas in 2022, a year-on-year decline of 26 percent.
Macau’s aviation sector was severely affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the local economy between 2020 and last year.
Air Macau launched its operations on November 9, 1995, based on a concession granted by the government in March 1995, the statement noted.
Air Macau’s exclusive concession was renewed by the government in September 2020 and extended by three more years. The three-year extension commenced on November 9, 2020, the statement pointed out.
The government proposed early this month the civil aviation sector’s liberalisation, based on a bill to be presented to the legislature in due course for debate and vote. If passed by lawmakers, Air Macau’s monopoly concession as a locally headquartered airline would come to an end before long.
Air Macau’s statement gazetted on Wednesday did not mention the government’s plan to liberalise the civil aviation sector.
According to the statement, Air Macau operated 22 aircraft at the end of last year, with an average age of 6.54 years. It pointed out that its fleet did not report any aviation transport incidents last year, when it clocked up 16,614 “safe flight hours”.
Air Macau also reported a punctuality rate of 73.35 percent last year, a year-on-year increase of 1.05 percentage points.
The statement underlined that Air Macau maintained its “predominant” market share at the local airport last year, taking up 43 percent of the airport’s flight movements and 62 percent of its passenger throughput.
Air China is Air Macau’s controlling shareholder with 66.9 percent. According to previous media reports, the local government and former monopoly gaming concessionaire STDM own 21.5 percent and 11.57 percent respectively. Taiwan’s Evergreen Airways Service and several other companies own the remainder.
Photo downloaded from Air Macau’s official website last night
