Impressive latest figures for October indicate yet another month of success in what has been a busy year of growth for Macau International Airport (MIA), in the fast-developing Special Administrative Region of China.
MIA forecasted a total passenger volume of 5.1 million with 50,000 movements for 2014, and with throughput for October of 460,000 – a 12% year-on-year increase on 2013 – it had already handled more than 4.5 million passengers by the end of the 10th month of the year.
Macau International Airport opened just over 19 years ago, and while the current terminal, capable of handling six million passengers annually, has supported its dynamic growth so far, erupting passenger traffic that shows no sign of slowing means that expanding its facilities is a vital next step in providing the necessary capacity to meet future demand, and delivering the high-quality of service promised to its passengers.
“After the extension of the PTB (Passenger Terminal Building) North side, we expect to accommodate 1.5 million more passengers, adding to a total of 7.5 million passengers that Macau International’s PTB can accommodate,” the airport’s Infrastructure Development Department said.
An extension of the Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) North side is the crux of the overhaul of Macau Airport’s infrastructure, which also includes the creation of a new business jet hangar and the improvement of the apron, as well as further research into the extension of PTB South. “After the extension of the PTB North side, we expect to accommodate 1.5 million more passengers, adding to a total of 7.5 million passengers that Macau International’s PTB can accommodate,” a spokesperson from the airport’s Infrastructure Development Department said. “Moreover, according to the MIA Master Plan by the Civil Aviation Authority of Macao, it is also to plan for land reclamation for further MIA development.”
Presently the project to develop the business jet hangar is in its construction phase, to be put into service in the next year, while the North side extension of the Passenger Terminal Building is in the tendering procedure. Overall construction work will finish in 2015. “For wholeness of the facilities appearance, the design of the expansion must match with the existing facilities, so the outlook of new and existing facilities is consistent,” the spokesperson explained. Additional space created by the extension will not only enhance the airport’s passenger handling capabilities, but will permit MIA to offer more to its diverse passenger base, with improved dwelling areas and a greater number of seats, a more varied array of retail and F&B options, and office spaces for the airport’s operating entities.
A step-by-step approach
In the summer of this year, development consultancy Mott MacDonald delivered the conceptual plan for the development of MIA’s passenger terminal. This included all planning for structural, electrical and mechanical engineering elements and necessary airport systems, as well as a passenger flow analysis to determine the required passenger facilities for the departures and arrivals hall extension.
MIA has said that the strategy behind the planning and construction of its development is to “break up the whole into parts in steps” – a phased approach that will enable the airport to provide more comfortable and convenient facilities for passengers of the future, without disrupting the airport journey for travellers today.
As the number of movements at Macau International Airport continues to escalate, the extension of its Passenger Terminal Building is a vital next step in its development, to accommodate the increasing number of passengers and satisfy the demand for aircraft space in the future.
Another key element of MIA’s development is its commitment to advancing its standing as a “virtual airport”, with the implementation of a state-of-the-art information system that will enhance operational efficiency. A new Airport Operational Data Base (AODB) will be established, an advanced CCTV system deployed and automatic check-in facilities put in place, while WiFi throughout the terminal building, a renewed website and the MIA community app will add to the convenient and efficient airport experience that Macau provides for its passengers.
