Macau’s government ordered cancellation of the operating contract for air carrier Viva Macau yesterday reports the South China Morning Post.
The move came after the financially troubled budget airline allegedly failed to offer help to passengers whose flights were cancelled. Those cancellations were reportedly caused by Viva Macau not paying its fuel bills.
Travellers have been warned against buying any more tickets from Viva Macau–whose online ticketing service was still available yesterday. Officials said any further sales by the airline would amount to fraud.
Six flights from Macau to Hanoi, Jakarta, Tokyo and Melbourne were scratched from the schedule yesterday stranding hundreds of angry passengers.
Meanwhile travellers from Hong Kong face disruption to their Easter holiday. Travel agencies said tickets on other carriers had sold out as a consequence of the Viva Macau crisis.
Macau’s Civil Aviation Authority ordered the city’s franchised airline, Air Macau, to terminate Viva Macau’s operating licence. Authorities said the move was to protect the public interest and the city’s image as a tourism hub. Air Macau technically has a monopoly franchise for civil aviation services out of the city, and other airlines based there operate as sub concessionaires of the flag carrier.
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