Macao Legislative Assembly Member José Pereira Coutinho has called for long-haul air services between Macao and the rest of the world – in particular, the Portuguese-speaking world, Ponto Final reports.

The Macao newspaper quotes Mr Pereira Coutinho as saying the city could become a staging post for Mainland Chinese tourists travelling to Europe.

Mr Pereira Coutinho said the Macao authorities should do their utmost to start long-haul air services, in particular to Portuguese capital Lisbon.

Direct flights between Macao and Portugal would make Macao airport truly international, and make the city less reliant on Hong Kong airport for intercontinental travel, Ponto Final quotes Mr Pereira Coutinho as saying.

In January another newspaper, Plataforma Macau, quoted Sino-LAC Holding Group President Yuan Lie as saying his company based on the Mainland Chinese island of Hengqin, adjoining Macao, intended to start next year an air cargo service between Macao and Portugal.