World’s First Resort Airport in Mactan, to be Completed in 2018

Construction of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), envisioned to be regarded as the world’s first resort airport, is expected to be completed in three years or by 2018.

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) on Sunday also said that the renovation of its existing terminal is meanwhile slated to be completed in 2019.

DOTC said that the country will mark another milestone on Monday (June 29) as it breaks ground for the airport, which is the Aquino administration’s first airport public-private partnership (PPP) project.

Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said in a statement that the kick-off ceremony for the construction of the airport marks the beginning of the country’s airports being at par with international standards.

“The kick-off ceremony for the construction of the new international terminal for the country’s second-biggest gateway, the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), is touted to be the start of Philippine airports matching the best in the world,” Abaya said.

“It will not only cement our place on the global map as a major tourist and business destination, it will boost the local economy and is projected to generate jobs especially in Cebu,” he added.

What went before

To recall, concessionaire GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC) won the auction for the 25-year PPP contract last year, after offering the government a premium bid of Php 14.4 billion.

Operations and maintenance (O&M) of the airport was turned over to the consortium in November 2015.

GMCAC began implementing soft improvements to the existing terminal to enhance passenger experience at the gateway including opening a centralized security check (CSC) system last month to speed up the processing time for departing guests.

The CSC system features four X-ray machines that can be used interchangeably, which then doubles the capacity of the final check-in counters. GMCAC has also opened additional immigration counters and self-service kiosks wherein passengers can pre-check-in.

Other soft improvements included the installation of LED bulbs for brighter lighting; the optimized use of floor space, which included transferring certain offices in exchange for more check-in counters and waiting areas; redesigning seating patterns to increase usage by passengers; and now, offering self-service check-in kiosks for faster processing

DOTC said that this airport project covers both the construction of a new international passenger terminal building (PTB), and the renovation of the existing PTB and its conversion into an exclusively-domestic facility.

With this project, the airport’s passenger capacity is expected to surge from 4.5 million to 12.5 million per year, the agency further said. (PNA) CTB/ANP