Private company

Viva Macau

Logo: Allen Zhao, GFDL 1.2, via Wikimedia Commons3

Airline based at Macau International Airport

Viva Macau Airlines was a Macanese long-haul, low-cost carrier based at Macau International Airport. The airline operated flights to Australia and Asia. In March 2010, Viva Macau was forced to suspend operations after the Macau government suddenly ordered Air Macau to cancel its sub-concession agreement with Viva Macau, alleging that Viva Macau failed to adequately assist passengers affected by flight delays and cancellations.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

2005Founded1

Viva Macau Airlines was a Macanese long-haul, low-cost carrier based at Macau International Airport. The airline operated flights to Australia and Asia.2

The story

In 1994, the Macau Government attracted a consortium of investors to start Air Macau with the promise of a 25-year monopoly concession. The carrier set up as a connecting airline for flights between China and Taiwan primarily as well as other Southeast Asian countries.

Under a sub-concession arrangement with Air Macau, Viva Macau launched new routes from Macau in 2006, pioneering the concept of LCC-type low-cost, long-haul services. Despite Air Macau holding the exclusive concession on all air routes out of Macau, after lengthy negotiations, the government agreed to license the new airline on the condition that any routes Viva Macau wanted to operate had first to be approved by Air Macau.

In the years that followed, Viva expanded service with new routes from Macau to Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan and Australia. Viva Macau was named the "New Airline of the Year" in November 2007 by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, due in part to its contribution to the development of the aviation industry and tourism in Macau and across Asia.

In September 2009, Viva Macau was voted in the "Top 10 Budget Airlines" by the readers of SmartTravelAsia.com for the second consecutive year. Also in September 2009, Viva Macau become the first Macau-based airline to receive certification from the Macau Civil Aviation Authority (AACM) for Extended Twin Engine Operations (ETOPS). ETOPS is the global standard for efficient long-distance flight operations.

Due to Macau's limited workforce, the company employed staff from 28 different countries as well as local labor.

From Wikipedia’s article on Viva Macau, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Products and brands

Destinations

In its short history, Viva Macau had changed its destinations depending on consumer demand. The airline also operated a number of charter flights to Japan, including Tokyo. It was likely that their routes would have been expanded in the future (including the possibility of scheduled service to Tokyo via Ibaraki Airport).

Fleet

Viva Macau operated the following Boeing aircraft (at 28 March 2010):

The acquisition of more aircraft was planned, building up to a fleet of 10-15 aircraft within five years.

From Wikipedia’s article on Viva Macau, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Timeline

  1. Mar 28, 2010Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. 2005Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4