New (Cotai) Tapai Ferry Harbor can handle 40 boats per hour

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. said in a report released Thursday that the opening of a new ferry terminal in Taipa Packon in 2016 has the potential to be "a game changer for Cotai."

According to the report, the new ferries will be able to handle 40 ferries per hour, which are advantageous over four per hour ferry fares that neighboring temporary terminals can handle. In addition to increasing production, the new terminal will have the first commercial helipad in the Taipa-Kotai region, providing a landing site for commercial helicopter services to transport passengers. Daiwa said the commercial helipad at the main ferry terminal on the Macau Peninsula has benefited the city's downtown casinos.

The short commute helps casino customers maximize the amount of time they can spend at their tables, and Daiwa said in a note reported to ggrasia.com , "A high proportion of these customers travel by helicopter to Macau, and our inspection shows that these customers share a common trait. In other words, time sensitivity to travel [to Macau] via ferry, travelling by helicopter saves at least 40-45 minutes per trip."

On September 8, Susanna Wong Soiman, the government's director of marine waters, confirmed that the earliest start date for the Pac-on passenger ship is mid-next year, seven years after the originally planned 2009 opening date, and that the project exceeds five times what was originally set for the budget.

Located on Taipa Island near Macau Airport, the Pac-on Ferry Terminal's main purpose is to allow tourists to travel directly to the Kotai resort.