Macau airport passenger traffic falls 0.9% for Q3

Macau International Airport handled approximately 1.87 million passengers for Q3 2026, down 0.9% year-over-year as elevated fuel costs and reduced flight operations affected traffic. Aircraft movements fell 6.6% to 13,484.

Air Macau cancelled or rescheduled hundreds of flights amid rising oil prices, operating more than 400 fewer flights in July and August and about 200 fewer in September, according to local media. The cutbacks followed months of traffic volatility triggered by escalating Middle East tensions and higher fuel costs.

Nevertheless, year-to-date, nine-month traffic still grew 4.9% to 5.77 million, supported by regional demand and route expansions.

Macau’s airport expansion has led to daily overnight flight suspensions from midnight to 8 am, a measure expected to remain in place until the second half of 2029. The project is scheduled for completion in 2030 and will increase annual passenger capacity from 10 million to 13 million.

Travel Industry Council of Macau president Andy Wu Keng Kuong urged the city to expand direct flights and improve regional connections to attract higher-spending international visitors.

China Southern Airlines will launch daily flights between Macau and Guangzhou on December 10, providing onward connections to international destinations through Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.

Earlier this month, the Macau Government reiterated its expectation of MOP 236bn ($29.1bn) in GGR for the full year 2026. This comes despite four consecutive months of year-over-year declines.

Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai said Macau generated approximately MOP 187.1bn in cumulative gaming revenue through September, leaving MOP 48.9bn to meet its annual estimate.

Nevertheless, monthly revenue has indeed declined year-over-year since June and authorities are assessing whether the slowdown reflects temporary domestic and external factors or comparisons with relatively high revenue levels from previous years.

It is not all bad news, since October is a good month for Macau. Sam said visitor arrivals during the Golden Week holiday increased compared with the previous year, although the Government is still evaluating whether higher tourism numbers have translated into additional gaming revenue.