The Macau government is providing assistance to local passengers stranded in Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, after an Air Macau flight originally scheduled to arrive in Macau from Osaka on Saturday afternoon was diverted to Nanning for a precautionary landing due to severe weather, according to a statement by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) yesterday.
The statement noted that the MGTO 24/7 tourism hotline, (853) 2833 3000, received calls for assistance yesterday from several Macau residents on board the flight.
“MGTO maintained contact with affected passengers to understand their situation. Together with the Civil Aviation Authority of Macao (AACM), the Public Security Police (PSP), and Air Macau, MGTO immediately activated a liaison mechanism to coordinate follow-up arrangements for the travellers,” the statement read.
According to the statement, Air Macau flight NX855 was carrying 166 passengers, including 93 Macau residents. It was originally scheduled to land in Macau on Saturday afternoon; however, owing to typhoon conditions affecting the territory, the aircraft was diverted to Nanning - whose airport serves both civil and military aviation - for a precautionary landing.
The statement said Chinese mainland border control authorities had “provided appropriate assistance to enable the passengers to enter” the mainland, while Air Macau had arranged hotel accommodation for them.
The MGTO statement quoted Air Macau as saying it was arranging a special flight from Nanning to Macau yesterday for the affected passengers.
The statement added that the MGTO tourism hotline had received nine requests for assistance or complaints from Macau passengers on the flight. The complaints have been referred to the relevant authorities for follow-up, the statement said.
According to reports on social media, some Macau passengers on flight NX855 were initially unable to enter the mainland as they were not carrying their Home Return Permits (the identity card required for Macau residents to travel to and from the mainland), leaving them briefly stranded on board the aircraft or inside the terminal.
The affected passengers were subsequently granted entry by border control authorities under special arrangements and provided with hotel accommodation by Air Macau after several passengers sought assistance from MGTO, according to social media posts.
July 2016 file photo of Nanning Wuxu International Airport. – Photo: Wikimedia Commons
