Mactan-Cebu International Airport

Mactan-Cebu International Airport
Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Mactan-Cebu
Tugpahanang Pangkalibutanon sa Mactan-Sugbo
Exterior of Mactan-Cebu International Airport
IATA: CEBICAO: RPVM
CEB
Location of airport in Philippines
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority
Serves Cebu City
Location Barangay Ibo, Lapu-Lapu City
Hub for Cebu Pacific
Philippine Airlines
Elevation AMSL 23 m / 75 ft
Website www.cebu-airport.com
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
04/22 3,300 10,827 Concrete/Asphalt
Statistics (2010)
Passengers 5,791,387
Aircraft movements 46,206
Metric tonnes of cargo 45,403
Statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.[1]

Mactan-Cebu International Airport (Filipino: Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Mactan-Cebu, Cebuano: Tugpahanang Pangkalibutanon sa Mactan-Sugbo) (IATA: CEBICAO: RPVM) is a major international airport in the Visayas region of the Philippines. It is located in Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan Island, Metro Cebu and is the country's second primary gateway. The airport is managed by the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority.

The airport property covers an area of 797 hectares. The airport has a single 3,300 meter runway that is complemented by a full-length taxiway. The terminal building has a capacity of handling 4.5 million passengers annually on two wings, the domestic wing and the international wing.

Mactan-Cebu International Airport is a major trade center in the south for both domestic and international traffic. Its traffic is continually increasing and is now serving 602 commercial flights weekly transporting 10,223 passengers daily.

About 54% of the flight operations at Mactan-Cebu International Airport are commercial carriers while the remaining 46% are military aircraft and general aviation operations.

Over the last fifteen (15) years, Mactan-Cebu International Airport’s passenger traffic has grown at an annual average of 21% for International while the domestic grew at an annual average of 5%. Mactan-Cebu International Airport is currently served by thirteen (13) passenger airlines and five (5) cargo airlines.

Mactan-Cebu International Airport is one of the major cargo airports in the Philippines. Air cargo volume in 2007 is 53,472,924 kg. International cargo volume increased at an average growth rate of 47% annually while the domestic cargo grew 4% annually.

The airport handled 5.79 million passengers on both domestic and international routes in 2010.

Contents

Future plans

Plans have been drawn for the expansion of the existing terminal building and the construction of two more boarding bridges or jetways to complement the existing four. A new cargo terminal has also been proposed.

On August 20, 2008, the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) announced that about P300 million will be spent for the terminal expansion program to address the increasing volume of passenger traffic. MCIAA former general manager Danilo Augusto Francia said the program also includes the establishment of a second passenger terminal in the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.[2]

Later in 2009, former general manager Francia announced for the public bidding for the construction of the new generation terminal to service only international flight to and from Cebu, Philippines. Three out of the only seven 5-star airlines in the world operate flights from the airport, namely: Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, and Asiana Airlines.

In 2010, the newly elected Philippine President, Benigno Aquino III, has selected Nigel Paul Villarete as the new General Manager of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport(MCIA)[3] and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MCIAA. Upon his assumption on October 26, 2010,[4] MCIAA General Manager Villarete has prioritized the completion of the terminal expansion[5] and the completion of the unfinished administration building.[6] In addition, the Feasibility Study for the New MCIA International Terminal will be completed in 2011,[7] and has been included in President Benigno Aquino III's List of Priority Projects for Public-Private Partnership (PPP) implementation.[8] The feasibility study is being financed by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

In addition, MCIAA General Manager Nigel Paul Villarete also proposes to establish a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line to transport airport passengers to and from MCIAA from different parts of Cebu. This will complement and maybe integrated into the proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System being planned in Cebu City.[9]

History

The airport opened in the mid-1960s. It was built to replace the Lahug Airport, which could no longer be expanded due to safety and physical problems. The airport was then expanded in its later years to become the current Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA). The airport is currently the second busiest in the country after Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport and serves as the country's primary alternative gateway.

The airport is currently in the process of building an administrative building. The construction is currently stalled due to irregularities in the deal but it is expected to continue soon. The idea behind the building is to free up space in the airport terminal so that the airport can expand passenger facilities without necessarily expanding the size of the airport. Currently, all airport offices are located inside the Main Terminal.

A VIP Lounge for the ASEAN Summit held in Cebu in 2007. The airport lounge now serves as the primary welcome area for VIPs visiting Cebu.

Terminals, airlines and destinations

Airlines Destinations Terminal
Air Busan Busan International
Airphil Express Bacolod, Butuan [begins March 22], Cagayan de Oro, Caticlan, Cotabato [begins February 9], Davao, Dumaguete [begins March 22], Iloilo, General Santos [begins March 22], Kalibo [begins February 9], Legazpi [begins February 9], Manila, Ozamiz, Pagadian [begins February 9], Puerto Princesa [begins March 22], Surigao [begins February 9], Tacloban, Zamboanga Domestic
Airphil Express Hong Kong International
Asiana Airlines Seoul-Incheon International
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International
Cebu Pacific Bacolod, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Caticlan, Clark, Davao, Dipolog, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iloilo, Kalibo [begins February 24], Legazpi, Manila, Ozamiz, Pagadian, Puerto Princesa, Siargao, Surigao, Tacloban, Zamboanga Domestic
Cebu Pacific Busan, Hong Kong, Seoul-Incheon, Singapore International
Jeju Air Busan International
Korean Air Busan, Seoul-Incheon International
Mid-Sea Express Camiguin, Tagbilaran Domestic
Philippine Airlines Manila Domestic
Philippine Airlines Seoul-Incheon, Tokyo-Narita International
Qatar Airways Doha International
SilkAir Singapore 1 International
Tiger Airways Singapore International
Zest Airways Manila Domestic
Zest Airways Cheongju [ends February 4], Muan [ends January 26], Seoul-Incheon, Shanghai-Pudong International
Notes

Cargo airlines

Incidents/Accidents

On December 11, 1994, Philippine Airlines Flight 434 was flying on its second leg of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport - Mactan-Cebu International Airport - New Tokyo International Airport (now Narita International Airport) route when a bomb on board exploded, killing a passenger. The airliner was able to make an emergency landing. Authorities later found out that Ramzi Yousef planted the bomb on the airliner to test the bomb for his Project Bojinka plot. His project was discovered in Manila after an apartment fire on the night of January 5 and the morning of January 6, 1995.

Ramzi Yousef was on board Flight 434 from Manila when he planted the bomb beneath a vacant seat. He used a fake identity thus he was able to pass through security in Manila. Yousef set the time for the bomb to blow off when the airplane was already in its Cebu-Tokyo leg. Yousef got off the plane during the stopover in Cebu from Manila.

References

  1. ^ "Passenger Statistics 2009". May 14, 2010. http://www.caap.gov.ph/Downloads/adms.pdf. Retrieved April 21, 2009. 
  2. ^ Mactan-Cebu airport to set aside P300-M for expansion
  3. ^ Positive News Media, "P-Noy names four Cebuanos to Mactan airport board," http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-6803478/aHR0cDovL3Bvc2l0aXZlbmV3c21lZGlhLm5ldC9hbTIvcHVibGlzaC9CdXNpbmVzc18xOS9QLU5veV9uYW1lc19mb3VyX0NlYnVhbm9zX3RvX01hY3Rhbl9haXJwb3J0X2JvYXJkLnNodG1s
  4. ^ Marian Z. Codilla, Cebu Daily News, 10/27/2010, "Villarete sworn in as Mactan airport chief," http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/news/view/20101027-299999/Villarete-sworn-in-as-Mactan-airport-chief
  5. ^ www.passengerterminaltoday.com, news, "Expanded Mactan-Cebu to open in November," http://www.passengerterminaltoday.com/news.php?NewsID=27172
  6. ^ Gregg M. Rubio/FPL (The Freeman), November 03, 2010, "Villarete to finish MCIAA administrative building despite corruption tag," http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=626707&publicationSubCategoryId=107
  7. ^ Cris Evert Lato, Inquirer Visayas, 01/08/2011, "Mactan studies feasilibility of new terminal building," http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20110108-313298/Mactan-studies-feasilibility-of-new-terminal-building
  8. ^ Jessica Ann R. Pareja, The Freeman, October 26, 2010, "BRT, MCIAA development among P.Noy's top projects," http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=624372&publicationSubCategoryId=107
  9. ^ Cebu Daily News, January 05, 2011, "Revamp, BRT setup eyed for Mactan airport," http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=624372&publicationSubCategoryId=107

External links

Philippines portal
Aviation portal