Macau Revokes Viva's Business License

The Macau SAR Civil Aviation Authority has revoked the business license of air carrier Viva Macau and ordered the company to stop all business activities including online air ticket sales.

Simon Chan Weng Hong, the president of the Macau CAA, said at a press conference that the Macau SAR government had requested Air Macau to stop its cooperation with Viva Macau since the latter had failed to offer effective solutions to its many flight delays.

It is reported that on March 26, 2010 Viva Macau's failure to pay the passenger plane fuel fee led to the cancellation or delay of two flights, and as a result more than 300 passengers were stranded at the airport. On March 27, 2010 there were more flight cancellations or delays caused by the company's own actions.

Chan said that Macau SAR government has been concerned with the negative impact that Viva Macau had on its passengers and society and it had decided to terminate Air Macau's cooperation agreement with Viva Macau to protect the passengers' interests. In addition, the SAR government will recall a MOP200 million loan that had been previously granted to Viva Macau.

Launched in 2006, Viva Macau is the second airline based in Macau. The company's business model is based on cheap airfares, but bad operation had led to many flight delays or cancellations in recent years.