General aviation operations at MCIA have 10 more years

CEBU, Philippines - Private and government entities operating general aviation activities at the Mactan Cebu International Airport have been given 10 years to continue with their operations within the airport’s property. 

After which, they would need to transfer to another location, said the airport’s general manager, Nigel Paul Villarete, following the discussion of the matter during the recent meeting of the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority   Board in Manila.

“We have to understand the need for the transfer of general aviation because, of course, everybody wants MCIA to develop further as international gateway,” Villarete said.

Villarete explained that no international airport in the world accommodates general aviation operations.

He said that it is also among the reasons why they want to develop the airports in Santa Fe, Bantayan Island and in San Francisco, Camotes Island to cater to the general aviation activities.

The Philippine State College of Aeronautics is eyeing Medellin town in northern Cebu as its relocation site to give way to the expansion project of the MCIAA.

The PHILSCA building in Mactan belongs to the Philippine Air Force  while the lot is owned by MCIAA.

PAF owns at least 17 facilities located within the MCIAA property and these are included in the airport services modernization.

MCIAA needs close to P1 billion to finance the construction of the buildings that would house the different offices of PAF affected by the expansion project.

The construction of at least 17 buildings will be given priority by MCIAA to give way to the construction of new airport terminals and buildings as part of the concession agreement signed by the DOTC and the GMR-Megawide Consortium.

PAF is allowed to continue using the property with a condition that they will vacate the place once the authority will use the lot.

During the MCIAA Board meeting, its members formally requested the Department of Transportation and Communication to initiate the studies to develop the airports in the two islands in Cebu.

“What we are trying to do now is just to do the initial studies, pre-investment studies, feasibility study,” Villarete said.

He stressed it is not easy to build a new airport pursuant to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines’ classification and with all the amenities required by the Air Transportation Office. (FREEMAN)