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Wednesday, June 04, 2003
Number of int’l passengers down
By Karen Joy Jajalla STC Masscom Intern
INTERNATIONAL passenger arrivals at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) for the first quarter of this year declined by 4 percent, equivalent to 7,274 passengers, while domestic arrivals dropped by a negligible one percent.
The international passengers arrival figure of 62,522 is 11 percent less than the first quarter target of 70,200 passengers. First quarter domestic arrivals, at 289,789, are 14 percent less than the projected 333,400 arrivals.
MCIA public affairs manager Ahmed Cuizon said arrivals were affected by the recent war on Iraq and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) scare in Asia. Still, Cuizon said a decrease in international passenger arrivals is expected during the January early part of the year.
Cuizon said January is the peak time of arrivals because of the Sinulog Festival.
While domestic flights arrivals and departures both decreased by 3 percent, Cuizon said international flights arrivals increased by 9 percents and departures by 10 percent.
Domestic cargo arrivals also dropped during the first quarter, notching only 3,961 tons, five percent less than the 4,191 tons recorded first quarter of last year. Still, it was 28 percent less than the period’s projected figures.
Domestic cargo departures, however, increased 14 percent to 4,405 tons from last year’s 3,861 tons. Still, the figure is 20 percent less than the projected 5,500 tons.
International cargo arrivals increased by seven percent in the first quarter this year to 3,285 tons from last year’s 3,070. International cargo departures, however, dropped by 6 percent to 2,895 tons from last yars 3,079 tons.
Cuizon said they are optimistic the numbers would pick up because of the end of the Iraq war and the diminishing Sars scare.
(June 4, 2003 issue)
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