From November 1, 2020, all passenger and aircraft operations at Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) will be consolidated at Terminal 1 (T1) except for international arrivals which will remain at Terminal 2 (T2).
MCIA terminal operator GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC) in a statement said the consolidation will streamline operations and maximize terminal efficiencies during this period of reduced aircraft movement and passenger traffic.
Only international arrivals will remain at T2 as all arriving international passengers must go through mandatory reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing procedures and required protocols.
T1 has been dedicated to domestic airlines since the second half of 2018 when T2 was inaugurated and designated the terminal for international flights.
“The consolidation of operations in T1 will allow GMCAC to align capacity and resources more appropriately to the current level of demand and optimize the use of utilities to a manner more commensurate with current traffic, without sacrificing quality,” GMCAC chief executive adviser Andrew Harrison said.
“As traffic on both domestic and international routes increases to near normalcy, GMCAC will revert to two-terminal operations, subject to the air traffic and passenger throughput,” he added.
READ: Cebu airport posts 45% less cargo in first semester
Data from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority showed MCIA serviced 24,255 flights in the first semester of 2020, 54.6% lower than the 53,452 flights recorded in the same period in 2019.
Passenger traffic posted a decline of 61.2% to 2.464 million in the first half of 2020 from 6.354 million in the same period last year.
T1 consolidated operations will take effect at 12:01 a.m. on November 1 and this change will remain in place until further notice.
GMCAC said passenger signage and wayfinding will be modified over the coming weeks to support the consolidated operations. Public advisories will also be communicated via social media, website, and print media.
Ticketing booths of international airlines currently situated at the T2 departures level will be replicated in a designated international airline ticketing lobby in T1.
GMCAC reminds passengers to check with their airlines for the schedule of available flights and ensure that the required travel documents are complete before the scheduled date of travel.
“Health and safety protocols will be further enhanced to reduce contact and touch points through the passenger’s journey. We ask for your patience and cooperation as we continuously find ways to ensure the well-being of our passengers and airport staff when travelling through MCIA,” Harrison said.
Domestic and international airlines started suspending flights out of the country’s second busiest gateway in mid-March as the government implemented travel restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the country. Only repatriation and cargo flights have been operational since.
More flights were allowed starting June, following the easing of community quarantines nationwide, including in Cebu.
