AIRCRAFT landings and take-offs are expected to increase at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) when the upgraded taxiway is commissioned in June 2021.
Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) officer-in-charge Glenn Napuli said the airport will be able to increase aircraft movements to 40 per hour from the current 35. Each landing or take-off is called an aircraft movement.
“It is a huge help during peak hours and with this, we can accommodate more flights,” Napuli said during the inauguration of the upgraded taxiway on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.
A rise in aircraft movements is expected to lead to an increase in passenger traffic.
Parking will also expand to 50 aircraft. In case of weather disturbances and other emergencies, wide-body aircraft diverted from Manila, Clark or Iloilo can now park at the MCIA, Napuli added.
Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, who led the inauguration along with Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Secretary Michael Dino, congratulated the MCIAA board of directors and other MCIAA officials for making the airport globally competitive.
“This is vital in making sure that MCIA will be more spacious, safe and attractive,” he said.
Dino, for his part, said more domestic and international flights are expected in Cebu once the country overcomes the health crisis.
“Thus, the timely completion of the taxiway would boost the efforts of making the Mactan-Cebu International Airport a major regional hub. It will prove useful in optimizing the arrival and departure of aircraft which we expect to increase over time,” he said.
The newly completed project, which cost over P223 million, is awaiting approval by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap).
The project involved widening of the existing taxiway at the general area, load bearing area and taxiway shoulder pavement.
During the construction phase, around 60 jobs were generated. More employment opportunities are expected to be created as a result of the expected increase in the number of aircraft using the new taxiway.
Tugade also inaugurated Wednesday the Caap administration building, a two-story structure located within the MCIA complex.
He also inspected the ongoing construction of the MCIAA corporate building, which will house all offices and departments.
The project has generated 187 jobs. More employment opportunities in the area of security, maintenance, and canteen operation are expected to be created once the facility is operational.
Aside from Tugade and Dino, Caap Director General Jim Sydionco and other transport officials attended the inauguration ceremony.
Meanwhile, Napuli said construction of the airport’s second runway is ongoing.
“We are at 32 percent complete with our target inauguration in February 2022. We added more teams and more equipment to hasten the construction. We are still pushing forward to complete it after we finish our corporate building,” he said.
Napuli also said there are no plans for a third passenger terminal building as Terminal 2 is expected to accommodate the current passenger traffic, which has dwindled due to the pandemic.
Once passenger traffic recovers to pre-pandemic levels, Napuli said they will return to planning for the third terminal.
MCIA is the second busiest airport in the country, next to Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila. Upgrading and maintenance of its landside facilities are being handled by concessionaire GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (JOB)