Mactan Airport Emerging as Alternative Hub to Manila Airport

The Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) is emerging as an alternative hub to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila, MCIA’s private operator said.

Ravi Shankar Saravo, chief commercial adviser of GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC), MCIA’s private operator, said Mactan airport’s emergence as a secondary hub is shown by the increasing number of flights from Cebu to other parts of the country.

GMCAC won the PHP17.5 billion rehabilitation and management of the MCIA, which includes the construction of Mactan Airport Terminal 2 (T2).

The Mactan Airport T2 is expected to be completed in June 2018 and will increase MCIA’s capacity from 4.5 million passengers to 12 million passengers a year.

The increase in flights also resulted in the increase in the number of passengers passing through the MCIA, which reached 8.8 million in 2016, up by 13 percent or from the 7.8 million passengers recorded in 2015.

Saravo said national flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) and budget carriers such as Cebu Pacific and Air Asia have mounted more flights out of Cebu.

Air Asia flies from Cebu to Kalibo, Caticlan, Davao, Puerto Princesa and Cagayan de Oro, aside from Manila.

Cebu Pacific flies from Cebu to Calbayog, Ormoc, Roxas, Bacolod, Caticlan, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Camiguin, Clark, Davao, Dipolog, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iloilo, Kalibo, Legaspi, Manila, Ozamis, Pagadian, Puerto Princesa, Surigao, Tacloban, Tandag and Zamboanga.

PAL has more than 100 weekly flights to and from Cebu to such destinations as Manila, Clark, Davao, Iloilo, Bacolod, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro and Tacloban.

PAL also inaugurated on Sunday its new flights to Puerto Princesa and Coron in Palawan, Surigao City and General Santos City.

Saravo said passenger traffic between Cebu and Manila is now on a plateau, while passenger traffic from Cebu to other provinces are growing at double digit figures.

Saravo said the emergence of Mactan airport as an alternate hub will help decongest the NAIA and allow it to focus on more strategic routes. (PNA)/EB/SSC