THE GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC) has asked to further reduce the closure of the runway from six to three hours for a month if the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) will not accept their proposal to undertake the project.

“We have to negotiate on the duration of runway closure because it will affect the whole community. There will be 400 flights that will be affected,” said GMCAC president Louie Ferrer.

Earlier, MCIAA General Manager Steve Dicdican said they will close the runway from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. daily from Sept. 1 to 21. This was originally scheduled for eight hours daily from Sept. 1 to 14.

Ferrer said the GMCAC proposal is to construct an emergency runway and at the same time asphalt the existing runway. After that, GMCAC will construct the second runway.

Ferrer said that if MCIAA and its mother agency, the Department of Transportation (DOTr), will allow GMCAC to undertake the project, MCIAA can save P255 million for the runway asphalting and P2.5 billion for the runway construction since they are willing to shoulder both costs.

“In short, there will be no more cash out on the part of MCIAA and its mother agency, DOTr,” Ferrer said.

Meanwhile, 10 airlines with international flights and four domestic airlines will be affected by the runway closure between Sept. 1 and 21, based on records of the Domestic and International Traffic Movement.

The affected airlines will be Jeju Air, China Eastern, Philippines Air Asia, Cebu Pacific, Lucky Air, Philippine Airlines, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, China Eastern and Cebgo.

The MCIAA has urged these airlines to reschedule their flights early so as not to confuse passengers who availed themselves of early booking. (EOB WITH FVQ)