The "opening of direct flights between Macau and Lisbon is the foundation of a platform" that serves to connect "Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa," said Ip Sio Kai, during a session in the Legislative Assembly.

The establishment of this new route "will contribute to further promoting trade, tourism, and the flow of people between Macau and European countries, reinforcing Macau's substantial role as a link to the world," he added.

As of October last year, Macau International Airport had 40 regular direct routes to mainland China and other regions in Asia, Ip said, noting that there is a lack of "direct medium- and long-haul flights to Europe and Portuguese-speaking countries."

"These compromises, to a certain extent, Macau's connecting role in the international network, and its contribution and influence as a platform for in-person interaction between these countries," explained the member of the indirectly elected group.

Due to the lack of direct flights to Lisbon, Ip continued, Macau residents and visitors are forced to travel through other cities, such as Hong Kong, Dubai, Istanbul, or Shanghai, which "does not favour the normalization of Sino-Portuguese trade and business activities, nor the attraction of more international tourists to Macau."

Ip Sio Kai suggested that the government provide subsidies for the opening of long-haul flights and launch promotions for accommodation, transportation, and cultural activities to attract tourists to Macau.


Ip is not the first member of parliament to question the government about new routes connecting the Chinese region to Europe. In 2023, when the civil aviation law was approved in its general terms, Portuguese member of parliament José Pereira Coutinho also wanted to know more about the authorities' plans.

"How can someone come directly from Europe to Macau? We haven't had a direct flight from Europe to Macau in 30 years," he asked.

TAP operated twice-weekly flights between Lisbon and Macau in the 1990s, but the route was suspended on October 31, 1998, after accumulating losses of around 200 million patacas (21.1 million euros).