GGRAsia – Air Macau plans more mainland flights for the return of e-visas | Tech Reddy

Air Macau said on Wednesday it plans to increase the number of flights it operates between Macau International Airport (pictured) and 17 destinations in mainland China for the “winter and spring” air travel period, in anticipation of more tourists continents coming to Macau.

For the winter of 2022 to the spring of 2023, the air travel period – which under the marketing system of the Chinese mainland began on October 31 and lasts until March 25 of next year – Air Macau plans a total of 5,723 such flights, up 41 percent year-on-year.

The 17 cities to serve are: Beijing; Shanghai, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Changzhou, Nantong, Tsingtao and Ningbo. Also covered by the new schedule are: Wenzhou, Yiwu, Tianjin, Taiyuan, Chongqing, Xiamen, Nanning and Zhengzhou.

Of the 5,723 scheduled flights, just over half – that is, 2,938 flights – were for “key routes”, namely Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Chengdu.

“Starting this month, residents of mainland China can apply to travel to Macau via the resumed use of “electronic visa equipment” (e-visa). This will greatly facilitate their application for travel visas to travel to Macau, and therefore provide a strong boost to a steady rebound in the number of inbound tourists,” Air Macau noted in its Chinese-language version.

The airline also said: “This [travel easing] measure by the central government”, will give “a strong boost to Macau’s aviation and travel sector”.

Macau will carry out mass Covid-19 tests among the population on Friday and Saturday (November 4 and 5), the second round of such checks in a week.

U mass test first on Tuesday and Wednesday – later fresh cases of Covid-19 reported in the city – it gave no more “positives” of Covid-19.

Senior health official Leong Iek Hou said at a Covid-19 briefing on Wednesday that the new round of tests would help ensure the city was “safe” for incoming travelers.

He added that Macao had to be “well prepared” for the resumption of mainland China’s electronic processing of e-visa applications to Macao, and the early return of mainland tour groups from selected areas called by the authority as “Four Provinces and a City”.

The resumption of package tours from China would be gradual, Macao authorities had previously mentioned. Initially, the visitors of the tour package will be from the provinces of Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Fujian, and the city of Shanghai.

Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng said last week that the Chinese government had given its blessing for an extension of Macau’s airport, which involves land reclamation work. He said it was a series of policy moves by the national government that would help Macau’s tourism sector.