As Macau’s new Civil Aviation Activities Law prepares to take effect, local airline Air Macau Company Limited has been granted an operating license valid for 20 years.
The Macao SAR Government announced in Monday’s Official Gazette that under the new law, Air Macau Company Limited has officially been authorized to engage in commercial passenger air transport operations. As such, the company’s operating period will run from 1 February 2026 to 31 January 2046, totaling 20 years. Air Macau may apply to the Chief Executive for renewal within two years prior to the license’s expiration.
However, the Chief Executive may refuse to renew the license based on market developments without being obligated to provide any compensation to the licensee.
The Civil Aviation Activities Law, which takes effect on 1 February, abolishes Air Macau’s monopoly and opens aviation operating rights. In other words, commercial air passenger transport rights in Macau will no longer be operated under a monopoly but granted through licenses.
Air Macau has now obtained operating rights via a license, not an aviation monopoly.
The airline originally secured a 25-year monopoly in 1995, which was scheduled to expire in 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic saw Air Macau granted a three-year extension of its monopoly rights.
Following the pandemic, the Civil Aviation Authority of Macau announced it would not be renewing Air Macau’s monopoly contract and instead open aviation operating rights to the market.
Macau’s visitor numbers have increased annually since the pandemic, reaching a historic high of over 40 million in 2025. However, air passenger traffic growth has slowed slightly. In 2025, Air Macau’s air passenger throughput stood at 7,521,344, a marginal 1.5% decline from 2024 and representing only 78% of 2019 levels.
