Mactan airport to grace two more bridge

Terminal upgrade in the works

December 16, 2009

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Mactan Cebu International: The airport terminal is scheduled for major upgrade and expansion work next year to handle a capacity increase of 10 million passengers annually. It currently serves 4.5 million passengers in 2009.
Cebu – The Mactan Cebu International Airport will be undergoing a major terminal upgrade and expansion works next year as it embarks on a system-wide 10 million capacity upgrade of its terminal services said its airport manager yesterday.

Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) General Manager Danilo Augusto Francia said at Marco Polo Plaza Hotel that the project covers a terminal expansion that would add another 6 million passenger capacity to the existing terminal which now handles 4.5 million passengers as of September 2009.

"To rise next to the existing terminal, the new facility will be built to accommodate services offered by five-star airlines and will have a wide range and spectrum of amenities needed by the airlines for their five-star aircraft," Francia said.

The expansion plan covers the installation of two more aerobridges to be installed at the new terminal north of the existing terminal complex to service amenities offered by international carriers Philippine Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways and soon to fly Emirates Airlines out of the new terminal which will be used exclusively for international operations. At present, there are 12 airlines using the international gateway facility.

According to Francia, they would also build two more airport lounges for business class passengers at the terminal complex according to the wishes of international airlines operating at the airport. Currently, the existing terminal houses both domestic and international flights.

With the bigger terminal, domestic bound passengers would soon enjoy a larger pre-departure area with capacity of 8 million passengers per annum.

“That will build us with 10.5 M for about 10 more years or so.” Francia adds.

Three bidders who would undertake the project are already shortlisted for post qualification and construction work is scheduled to be performed as early as March next year.

Francia also notes that while international passengers is in decline this year due to the global recession, domestic passengers continue to soar growing thirty percent (30%) from last year's figure. He said that from January to June, the airport had a negative nine percent (-9%) growth in terms of international arrivals but had recovered to register some positive gains in succeeding months but is not enough to arrest the annual decline.

Domestic arrivals on the other hand was mainly fueled by price war between local airlines resulting to bringing down of prices in air fare by Cebu Pacific, PAL Express, Zest Air and Philippine Airlines, prompting passengers to fly more often thus the substantial increase.

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