Cargo volume handled by Cebu’s main aviation gateway, the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), increased 12.28% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2014.
Data from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) showed that for January to March, cargo volume reached 15,517 metric tons compared with 13,820 mt in the same period in 2013. The result exceeded by 9% MCIAA’s target of 14,235 mt.
Of the total, international cargoes contributed 3,818 mt, a slight decrease of 2% from 3,883 mt in 2013, and 5% below the 4,000 mt target.
Domestic cargo volume jumped 18% to 11,699 mt from 9,937 mt in the same period in 2013, exceeding the airport’s 10,234 mt target by 14%.
For March alone, volume improved 7.9% to 5,307 mt from 4,917 mt in 2013.
MCIA received 4% fewer flights at 7,898 for the first quarter compared with 8,193 flights in the same period last year and 6.4% lower than the 8,438 target.
Passenger volume declined slightly to 1.749 million, 1% lower than the 1.768 million in the first quarter of 2013 and 4% below the 1.821 million target.
The country’s second busiest gateway is poised to get a makeover after the Department of Transportation and Communications signed a concession agreement with the GMR-Megawide consortium for the operation, maintenance, and the construction of a new passenger terminal and renovation of the existing terminal.
MCIAA will turn over within the next six months the maintenance and operation of the airport to GMR-Megawide.
