Mactan-Cebu International Airport’s (MCIA) Terminal 2 (T2) building, envisioned as the world’s friendliest resort airport, has been inaugurated and will start commercial operations on July 1.
Construction of the new terminal building was officially started in June 2015 by concessionaire GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp., with the aim of reducing airport congestion and increasing the airport’s annual passenger capacity from 4.5 million passengers per year to 12.2 million.
In his speech during the airport’s inauguration on June 7, President Rodrigo Duterte expressed his excitement to present the new airport to the public, describing the project as the “most beautiful airport in the country today.”
“It is exciting to see that we have come this far in letting our kababayans and visitors see and experience the results of our promise of real and lasting change. As one of the finest airports in Asia, this facility will showcase the best of what the Philippines has to offer,” Duterte said.
The new terminal was designed in collaboration with world-class Filipino artists as well as international design and architectural firms, with the aim to provide a welcoming ambiance that is distinctly Filipino.
With a floor area of 65,000 square meters, more than double the 27,000-square-meter minimum floor area in the concession agreement, the new terminal is designed to increase the airport’s total handling capacity.
MCIA Terminal 2 will start commercial operations on July 1 and will cater to international flights, while the existing Terminal 1 will handle domestic flights.
MCIA is the second largest airport and one of the busiest air hubs in the Philippines. As the premiere gateway to the Visayas and southern Philippines, it is currently handling an estimated 5.9 million passengers per year, which is beyond its capacity of 4.5 million passengers yearly.
