MACAO, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Commercial flight movements at the Macao International Airport decreased by 23 percent year-on-year to just 27,813 in the first nine months of 2009, according to the figures released on Wednesday by the city's Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).

    China's Taiwan, the Chinese mainland, Thailand and Malaysia remained the major flight routes in the period, accounting for 39 percent, 24 percent, 10 percent and 9 percent of the total commercial flights, the figures indicated.

    In addition to commercial flights, the city's outward air cargo volume dropped sharply by 45 percent year-on-year to 18,247 tons in the first three quarters this year.

    The outward air cargo's main destinations were China's Taiwan and Chinese mainland, which accounted for 73 percent and 8 percent of the total respectively, according to the DSEC.

    Meanwhile, inward air cargo also decreased by 35 percent to 8,729 tons in the period, with those from Taiwan taking a predominant share of 85 percent, the DSEC said. Transit air cargo tumbled by 76 percent year-on-year to 8,796 tons.

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