Mactan-Cebu Awarded Asia Pacific Medium Airport Of The Year (Over 10 Million Annual Passengers)
This is awarded to the airport with over 10 million annual passengers that has been the biggest standout strategically, has established itself as a strategic leader, and done the most to advance the progress of the aviation industry.
Mactan-Cebu was selected for the successful opening of Terminal 2, which provides ample capacity to support international growth and offers the best airport passenger experience (by a wider margin) in the Philippines.
Mactan-Cebu’s Terminal 2 lifts the airport’s capacity from 4.5 million to 12.5 million. Terminal 2 is being used for international operations, which has grown rapidly in recent years, while the original terminal is being used for domestic flights. The terminal took only three years to build with construction beginning less than a year after the airport was transferred to a new private sector consortium consisting of India’s GMR and Philippine company Megawide.
Mactan-Cebu won CAPA’s Asia Pacific small airport of the year category in 2016, following the successful privatisation. Annual traffic reached the 10 million passenger milestone in 2017, putting Mactan-Cebu in the medium airport category. Total passenger traffic at Cebu grew at a consistent 14% clip in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and has accelerated this year, reaching 26% in the first eight months of 2018.
Mactan-Cebu’s international traffic has more than doubled since 2014, when the airport handled only 1.7 million international passengers. International traffic grew 29% in 2017 to 3.1 million and is on pace to exceed 5 million this year following 65% growth through the first eight months.
All three main Philippine airline groups have been pursuing rapid expansion at Cebu, which they are now using the airport as an alternative hub for transfer traffic. The airport also has attracted eight new foreign airlines over the last three years and is currently served by 16 foreign carriers. Mactan-Cebu’s network has expanded rapidly and currently consists of 24 international and 16 domestic destinations.
“Mactan-Cebu has done it yet again by demonstrating strategic leadership in Asia’s dynamic airport sector,”CAPA executive chairman Peter Harbison said. “The opening of the new international terminal follows a highly successful privatisation, positioning the airport for rapid growth and making Mactan-Cebu a model for other airports in the Philippines and throughout Asia as potential PPP opportunities are evaluated.”