World-class terminal to make Cebu major int’l gateway

• Source: https://business.mb.com.ph/2018/07/14/world-class-terminal-to-make-cebu-major-intl-gateway/
• Sunday, July 15, 2018

By James Loyola

GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC) opened on July 1 the second terminal of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) — the country’s first world-class gateway to the world — envisioned to promote both business and tourism in Cebu and the surrounding islands in the Visayas and Mindanao.

The Mactan-Cebu International Airport terminal 2 was openned to a tour for the Members of the media and to the public yesterday as GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC) showed some of the terminal’s features including the Glulam roof structure, link bridge canopy drop off area of departing passengers,check-in counters glowing lanterns, the pearl flooring, and F and B retail options. The Terminal 2 will fully operate with its first flight to and from Shanghai China on July 1. (Photo by: Juan Carlo de Vela) mbnewspictures / mbnewspix

The first airport under the Public-Private Partnership program of the government, MCIA is the second largest airport facility in the country with a growing number of passengers.

In 2017, 11 million passengers used the airport.

With 22 international destinations, 33 domestic destinations and with 24 partner airline carriers, Mactan-Cebu Airport is no longer just a secondary airport. It is a viable choice that connects Cebu to the rest of the Philippines and to the world.

It has flights to other top Philippine tourist destinations like Boracay in Aklan, Palawan, Bohol, Davao, Camiguin and Camarines Sur, making it an ideal entry point for island-hopping visitors.

GMCAC envisions Mactan-Cebu Airport to become the “friendliest gateway destination” and the company’s brand image is firmly tied to Cebu’s global reputation as a resort destination.

Envisioned with a unique design that demonstrates the warmth and friendliness of the local culture, Terminal 2 is set to transform the local airport into a world-class facility and resort-gateway.

The most prominent aspect of the terminal is the roof. It is composed of an array of glulam arches, which form the roof curvature and define its geometry and modularity.

There will be 48 check-in counters that are expandable to 72. It has provisions for seven passenger boarding bridges, which can be expanded to 12 boarding bridges serving wide and narrow body aircraft. It will also be equipped with 12 escalators and 15 elevators for easy movement of passengers, especially for persons with disabilities.

A car parking facility will be constructed that can accommodate 550 cars and expandable to 750 cars as needed. There will also be food stalls and retail shops, a mall, casino, and a hotel.

The opening of Terminal 2 is meant to drive further growth in passenger traffic, which translates to a more robust tourism industry for the region. Terminal 2 will increase passenger capacity to 12.5 million. The new terminal, spanning 65,500 square meters, will not only ease congestion but will offer an exciting and wide-ranging retail environment.

To make it truly world class, GMCAC is making sure the terminal is not only aesthetically-pleasing but, more importantly, it should operate efficiently and at par with the world’s best airports.

The efficiency benchmarks for MCIA include the 15-minute-maximum check-in time for 95 percent of economy passengers; 10 minute maximum waiting time at immigration counters for 90 percent of passengers; ensuring that the first checked-in baggage comes out in 10 minutes after the flight lands and that the last bag is out in 35 minutes, while the first international flight bag is out in 15 minutes and the last bag in 45 minutes; and a waiting time of no more than 10 minutes for pre-booked wheelchairs.

In the next two years, new routes connecting Cebu to Europe, Australia and other ASEAN countries will be in the works. In 2016, discussions and meetings with airport operators in Sweden, Australia, and Japan were held to market Cebu as a destination and to showcase MCIA as an ideal gateway to the Philippines.

Expanding connections to China, Japan and South Korea are also being studied.

With the opening of the Terminal 2 and the launch of new flights out of Cebu, Mactan Cebu International Airport is eyeing an 11.2-million passenger traffic in 2018.

This is 12 percent higher than 2017’s passenger count of 10 million.

MCIA reached a total of 10 million passengers in 2017, up 11.72 percent from 8.93 million in 2016. Air traffic movement also grew 20.62 percent to 87,570 in 2017 from 72,600 in 2016.

MCIA recorded a total of 66,120 domestic flights, up 17.64 percent from the 56,210 in 2016. International flights rose 30.84 percent to 21,440 from 16,390.

MCIA welcomed six new airlines – Air Juan, Juneyao Air, OK Air, Lucky Air, Sichuan Airlines, and Pan Pacific Airlines – in 2017. True to its commitment of expanding connections from Cebu, GMCAC welcomed more Chinese carriers to Cebu and launched direct flights to six destinations in China: Beijing, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Kunming, Shanghai, and Xian.

According to GMCAC President Louie Ferrer, China is emerging as the world’s highest spending tourist market and is one of GMCAC’s highest priorities.

“We are looking to promote Cebu to other untapped markets and this includes other provinces in China. We want to bring this high-spending Chinese market to Cebu,” said Ferrer.