WOW!Macau among the most likely candidates to win a sub-concession
Macau is to allow at least three new carriers to base their operations in the former Portuguese colony before the end of the year, as it looks to build an international air transport network capable of serving a projected boom in its tourism and gaming industries.
The leading candidates to muscle in on Air Macau's 25-year concession at the airport are WOW! Macau, Golden Dragon - a start-up to be managed by the same executive team as Hong Kong Express - and an unnamed subsidiary of the Patrick Group, which owns Virgin Blue in Australia.
A Macau-based source close to the developments confirmed the frontrunners and the proposed timetable yesterday.
'It looks very likely the concessions will be awarded,' he said. 'If your plans are to have several new casino attractions operational in the next 18 months, it makes sense to have all the pieces in place well before that.'
WOW!Macau - backers of which include William Ho, brother of Macau chief executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah - on Sunday threw its lot in with the smaller special administrative region after having entertained Hong Kong as a possible alternative for the past two months.
The airline's chief executive, Andrew Pyne, said it was committed to Macau and that its route network and fleet plans would be unveiled once the sub-concession was awarded.
