“This new runway at the Mactan Cebu International Airport reflects the very essence of Cebu. It is dynamic, promising, and always ready to take on challenges,” the President said on Thursday at the inauguration of MCIA’s second runway.
This will serve as an alternative landing strip while the first runway undergoes repairs.
When finished, the MCIA—which is operated by the Aboitiz Group—will be the country’s first air gateway with fully parallel landing strips.
“By 2028, we expect the alternate parallel runway to be used simultaneously, together with the original runway, ensuring greater efficiency and capacity to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving and growing aviation industry,” Marcos said during the event, which was streamed online by the Department of Transportation.
“With two runways running full-time, the airport will now have the capacity, the capability to cater to up to 18 million passengers a year. It’s only a snapshot of all the exciting things that are happening in our airport infrastructure,” he added.
During the event, MCIA Administration general manager and CEO Julius G. Neri said capacity will increase by more than 25 percent once both runways are operational.
“While our runway is not yet being used to its capacity, the Cebuanos have decided to look forward and prepare for the future,” he said during the event.
The Department of Transportation noted that the second runway spans 2.56 kilometers.
The project is “designed to meet increasing air traffic demand and accommodate passenger and cargo volumes, ensuring uninterrupted airport operations during emergencies, maintenance and runway closures.”
Marcos also underscored plans to boost investments in the country’s aviation infrastructure, bolstering tourism and business opportunities.
“Under the Aviation Infrastructure Program, we have allocated P7.7 billion under this year’s budget for the upgrade of 15 airports nationwide,” the President said.
“This underscores our resolve to modernize facilities and ensure connectivity across the archipelago. Through this program, we can construct, rehabilitate, and enhance runways, taxiways, ramps, control towers, and passenger terminals while also acquiring state-of-the-art navigational equipment,” he added.
Miguel R. Camus has been a reporter covering various domestic business topics since 2009.
