THE Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) is on heightened alert in anticipation of the influx of arriving and departing passengers this week.
MCIAA general manager and chief executive officer Steve Yuhico-Dicdican, in a statement, said all units are in place and that they have enough personnel at work to ensure security in the airport during the Holy Week.
Private operator GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC), likewise, assured passengers of smooth airport operations during this peak travel period.
“We are closely coordinating with MCIAA and all airport stakeholders to ensure a safe, secure, and comfortable travel experience for the passengers during and after the Lenten season,” said GMCAC chief executive advisor Andrew Harrison.
GMCAC has mounted passenger help desks in prominent areas in the airport to provide immediate assistance to passengers. These help desks will be jointly operated by GMCAC’s customer service executives, airport medical staff, MCIAA public relations representatives, and security personnel from MCIAA Airport Police Division and the Philippine National Police.
At the same time, information banners were placed in visible areas to inform passengers of important announcements. In the event of a shortage of airport taxi service and vehicle rental services, MCIAA said it will field buses or coasters to serve passengers.
Facilities such as air-conditioning, toiletry supplies, water and power supply, and other amenities will be constantly monitored and maintained to ensure comfortable stay of passengers at the airport, the company said.
GMCAC also encouraged passengers to confirm their flight details with their airlines before going to the airport.
For a more convenient check-in process, passengers may use the online check-in facility of their airlines or the self-service check-in kiosks located inside the departures area.
For a seamless travel experience, Philippine Airlines said passengers can skip the check-in lines by checking in via the myPAL app within 24 hours to one hour before the flight. It also advised passengers to be on the road earlier to avoid traffic congestion in going to the airport.
It advised passengers to check flight information schedules ahead of their departure and know their terminal and boarding gate assignments as they may change from time to time.
Cebu Pacific also encouraged passengers to check in using mobile check-in, web check-in, or self check-in kiosks at the airport.
Holy Week is one the busiest weeks of the year for Filipinos to travel.
MCIA welcomed a total of 743,683 domestic passengers (inbound and outgoing) in April 2017, the highest recorded passenger traffic for the year, which is also the same month the Lenten season was observed.
International passenger traffic in the same month stood at 264,441.