The Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) recently held a ceremony to inaugurate its new, second runway.
The Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) recently held a ceremony to inaugurate its new, second runway.
On Thursday, January 30, a ceremony to inaugurate the new runway – the 2,560 meter-long Runway 4L/22R - was held at MCIA. The event was attended by officials including Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Cebu Province Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.
The second runway makes MCIA the only airport in the Philippines with two parallel runways when used together. According to MCIAA General Manager Julius Neri Jr., the new runway will boost the capacity of the airport by more than 25%. It will also be used as a backup when the original runway is closed for situations such as emergencies or during maintenance work .
Neri stated once the secondary runway becomes fully operational, the airport will start repair and rehabilitation work on the original runway later in the year. Two runway operations at Mactan Cebu Airport is expected to start in 2028.
“Thus, the parallel runway, which will increase our capacity to accept both foreign and local tourists, will also improve the safety of our airport amidst the challenges of the aviation industry. This is very important to the province of Cebu and all its component cities,” Neri said.
In 2024, the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority reported the airport served 11.3 million passengers – 8.5 million domestic and 2.8 million international. Both represent increases in passenger traffic of 13% (domestic) and 12% (international) compared to 2023.
In addition, the airport handled around 67 million kilograms of cargo.
The airport will be have a capacity to serve up to 18 million passengers per year with the two runways, and handle 40 flights per hour – up from the current 30.
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