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Mactan-Cebu International Airport recorded a 17.7% rise in cargo in January to 5.415 million kilograms from 4.603 million kg in the same month last year
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Domestic cargoes increased 9.6% year-on-year to 3.326 million kg while international cargoes surged 33.3% to 2.089 million kg
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Flights soared 18% to 9,556 while passenger traffic was up 22.3% to 1.130 million passengers
Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) recorded a 17.7% rise in cargo in January to 5.415 million kilograms from 4.603 million kg in the same month last year, according to data from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority.
Of the total volume, domestic cargoes accounted for 61.4% with 3.326 million kg, 9.6% higher than the 3.036 million kg in January 2024.
International cargoes likewise surged 33.3% to 2.089 million kg from 1.567 million kg.
Flights at the Cebu hub in the first month of the year reached 9,556, an 18% increase from 8,101 flights year-on-year, as domestic flights, which accounted for majority of the traffic, registered double-digit growth.
Domestic flights soared 22% to 7,788 flights from 6,391 flights while international flights rose 3.4% to 1,768 flights from 1,710 flights.
Passenger traffic likewise saw an improvement in January with 1.130 million passengers, up 22.3% from 924,345 passengers recorded last year.
Domestic passenger traffic shot up 29.5% to 843,495 from 651,578 while international passenger traffic climbed 5.2% to 286,817 from 272,767.
Last January 30, MCIA inaugurated its 2.56-kilometer alternate runway, which is designed to meet increasing air traffic demand and accommodate passenger and cargo volumes. The alternate runway will operate while critical repairs on the airport’s first runway are expected to start this May. Both runways are expected to simultaneously be operational by 2028, increasing the airport’s capacity to cater up to 18 million passengers a year.
READ: Mactan-Cebu airport inaugurates P2.55B second runway
In April, Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corp., the operator of MCIA, announced it had joined forces with global aviation consultancy Ricondo & Associates to develop a transformative master plan aimed at positioning the Cebu gateway as a world-class aviation hub for the Philippines. – Roumina Pablo
