THE Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) now has 15 foreign and five Philippine-based airline partners, and it now connects to 27 domestic destinations and 12 international destinations.
This happened with the addition of the new carrier Royal Air Philippines, which has launched its direct flight from Cebu to Hong Kong.
The direct flight offers travelers from the Visayas and Mindanao another flight option to explore Hong Kong during this peak travel season.
Royal Air flies Cebu to Hong Kong five times weekly, utilizing Airbus A320 aircraft with a seating capacity of 180 passengers. It had its inaugural flight on Monday, Oct. 9, 2023.
According to the MCIA management, the launch of this new route marks a significant milestone in the expansion of travel options from Cebu, boosting tourism and economic ties between Cebu and Hong Kong and promoting cultural exchange and business opportunities.
Cebu welcomed an estimated 2,882 tourists from Hong Kong in the first half of the year, according to the partial report of the Department of Tourism 7.
“We are excited to welcome Royal Air Philippines to our airport family and to offer our passengers another excellent option for traveling between Cebu and Hong Kong. This addition strengthens our commitment to develop MCIA as a key aviation hub in the Philippines as well as provide diverse travel opportunities and connecting people, businesses, and cultures,” said Athanasios Titonis, chief executive officer assigned to MCIA by Aboitiz InfraCapital, in a statement.
Data from the Hong Kong Tourism Board showed that there were 417,079 Filipinos that visited Hong Kong from January to August this year from only 2,838 Filipino arrivals in the same period in 2022.
In August alone, Hong Kong welcomed 25,885 Filipinos.
The foreign-based carriers that fly in and out of MCIA in Lapu-Lapu City are Qatar Airways, Emirates, Asian Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air, T’Way, AirAsia Malaysia, China Eastern, Scoot, Singapore Airlines, EVA Air, China Airlines, Starlux, and Cathay Pacific
The Philippine-based carriers are the Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, Philippines AirAsia, AirSwift, and Royal Air Philippines
Domestic destinations are Manila, Naga City in Bicol, Ozamiz, Pagadian, Puerto Princesa, Siargao, Surigao, Tacloban, Zamboanga, Davao, and Caticlan.
The other domestic destinations are El Nido, Bacolod, Baguio, Borongan, Busuanga, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Clark, Cotabato, Iloilo, Dumaguete, Calbayog, Camiguin, Dipolog, General Santos, and Legaspi (Daraga).
The international destinations are Doha, Dubai, Hong Kong, Incheon, Narita, Singapore, Taipei, Pusan, Daegu, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Shanghai.