GMCAC vows to make Cebu airport world-class

MANILA, Philippines - The GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC) called on President Aquino recently and assured him that the firm would make the new Mactan-Cebu International Airport a more modern and world-class terminal.

In a recent visit to Malacañang Palace, the GMCAC officials presented the new airport’s final design to Aquino and told the chief executive that the airport’s current capacity of 4.5 million passengers per year is expected to increase to 15 million after Phase 1 of the current terminal’s renovation and the construction of a second terminal.

GMCAC took over the facility’s operations on Nov. 1 and will begin construction of an additional terminal in the first quarter of 2015.

GMCAC is a consortium of two leading corporations – Megawide, a publicly listed Philippine engineering and infrastructure firm, with a solid reputation for engineering excellence and use of world class technology, and the GMR Group, an Indian-based infrastructure giant with airport building experience.

Megawide supports the Aquino administration’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects having won four out of the seven awarded projects – the Department of Education’s School Infrastructure Project Phases 1 and 2, the Philippine Orthopedic Center, and the Mactan Cebu International Project.

Its partner, GMR Group, is an India-based infrastructure company that has expertly transformed ordinary airports into award-winning facilities. Among these are the New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport and Hyderabad International Airport.

Among the upgrades to the Mactan-Cebu International airport by 2018 are a more spacious check-in area with additional counters and enhanced automated baggage handling systems, conveniently located airline lounges, separate international and domestic terminals linked by a bridge for passengers making connecting flights, adequate parking facilities, aircraft parking stands served by bus transfers, and an adjacent Airport Village Mall complex.

Internationally renowned Cebuano designers have lent their expertise to creating the world’s first resort airport. Passengers in the airport would experience interiors designed by Kenneth Cobonpue while the airport’s staff would wear uniforms designed by Cary Santiago.