The city of Macau is an aeronautical specialty in many ways. Only a few airlines fly to the Chinese special administrative region, but that is set to change shortly.

The fact that the range of flights is comparatively small and is also dominated by Air Macau and selected Chinese airlines is not due to a lack of demand, but the fact that the management of the special administrative region has so far only been very hesitant to allocate take-off and landing rights, because so far much emphasis was placed on protecting Air Macau from intense competition.

This also includes that the carrier has the right to access the best slots and has received special rates at the airport. In other words, other airlines couldn't really get past Air Macau and have to pay higher fees on top of that. The agreement, which is now to be overturned, dates back to 1995. Air Macau was only able to secure extremely exclusive, almost monopoly rights under Portuguese sovereignty. At times, no other carrier was allowed to take off or land at this airport, or the consent of the named airline was required. The green light sometimes paid royally for them.

The administration of the Chinese special administrative region has now come to the conclusion that the exclusive contract, which was originally concluded for 25 years, massively impedes competition and thus also the development of tourism. For this reason, one wants to adopt the Macau airport wide for the competition. The long-standing agreement is to be terminated by a new law that prohibits such exclusive contracts.

Ironically, Air Macau has benefited from the fact that air traffic has largely come to a standstill due to the corona pandemic. Actually, the exclusive agreement should expire at the end of 2020. The management of the special administrative zone then decided - also to save the carrier - to extend this for the last time until the end of 2023. Now this should finally be over and on April 1, 2024, interested carriers should no longer have to negotiate with Air Macau about take-off and landing rights.

As a result, new providers who want to take off in the coming year have already established themselves in Macau. Numerous foreign carriers have also considered the Chinese special administrative region. The local government assumes that airport charges will be lower in the future, more airlines will offer their services and, as a result, more tourists will come to the gambling metropolis.