The Macau Legislative Assembly (AL) has completed discussions on a new aviation bill, which is expected to take effect in February 2026. At that time, Macau’s aviation market will become fully open and the exclusive operating system no longer in place.
The new aviation bill, the Civil Aviation Activities Law, was first proposed by the government in June 2023. After passing the first vote in the Legislative Assembly, it has been under discussion in the AL’s subcommittee for nearly two years and was finally completed on Thursday (12 June).
The bill aims to implement the policy of gradually opening up Macau’s civil aviation market, approving the establishment of more airlines based in the Macau SAR and issuing licenses rather than granting exclusive operating rights. The licenses will be awarded via public tender.
Regarding the number of licenses and their validity period, the bill states that this will be determined by the Chief Executive, with a validity period of 25 years. The relatively long validity period is due to the government’s consideration that establishing an airline requires significant financial resources and a longer period to recoup costs.
Air Macau obtained 25-year exclusive operating rights in 1995 and was informed in 2019 that exclusivity would not be renewed when the initial term expired in 2020. However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 unexpectedly provided Air Macau the opportunity to extend its exclusive operating rights for three years.
After the pandemic, the Civil Aviation Authority announced that it would open up aviation operating rights. Air Macau’s exclusive operating rights will expire upon the formal implementation of the Civil Aviation Activities Law.
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