Macao International Airport, the only airport in the island city, recorded 5.5 million passengers and handled 180,000 tons of cargo in 2007, according to a press statement released on Friday by the company that runs the airport.

The airport also saw 53,000 aircraft movements last year, which, combined with the surging volumes of passengers and the cargoes, boosted the revenue of the airport to a new level, the Macao International Airport Company (CAM) said in its statement.

Despite the substantial increase, the current passenger volume and number of aircraft movements has reached 90 percent of the airport's capacity, while cargo handling volume has already exceeded the original capacity of just 160,000 tons, according to the statement.

For this reason, the airport's two extension projects were underway and expected by the end of next year, which will double the airport's area of shopping and dinning outlets and increase the mezzanine floor to 1,855 square meters, said CAM, adding that other development projects will be launched in the near future.

(Xinhua News Agency February 16, 2008)