Mactan Airport Governing Body Extends Aviation Stay for 10 Years

(PNA) — The Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) Board has given private and state general aviation firms at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) 10 more years to operate within the airport’s property, an official said.

Engr. Nigel Paul Villarete, MCIA general manager, said the general aviation companies have to transfer to another location after the lapse of 10 years.

“We have to understand the need for the transfer of general aviation because, of course, everybody wants MCIA to develop further as an international gateway,” Villarete said.

Villarete said no international airport in the world accommodates general aviation operations.

He said the transfer of general aviation is among the reasons they want to develop the airports in Santa Fe, Bantayan Island and in San Francisco, Camotes Island to cater to the general aviation activities.

The state-run Philippine State College of Aeronautics (Philsca) is eyeing Medellin town in northern Cebu as its relocation site to give way to the expansion project of the MCIA.

The Philsca is occupying a building owned by the Philippine Air Force (PAF) built on a lot owned by the MCIAA.

PAF owns at least 17 facilities located within the MCIAA property and these are included in the P17.5-billion airport expansion and modernization.

Villarete said the MCIAA needs close to P1 billion to finance the construction of the buildings that would house the different offices of PAF affected by the expansion project.

He said the MCIAA will give priority to the construction of at least 17 buildings to give way to the construction of new airport terminals and buildings as part of the concession agreement signed by the Department of transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the GMR-Megawide Consortium, the winning bidder in the airport expansion. (PNA) LAP/EB

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