The Department of Tourism (DOT) welcomed the institution of the primary parallel runway on the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), one of many nation’s main gateways positioned within the province of Cebu.
In 2024, the MCIA admitted a complete of 11,315,225 passengers, a progress of 13 % in contrast to 2023 information. Of the full, 8,506,299 had been home passengers whereas 2,808,926 had been worldwide passengers.
DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco stated the expanded MCIA runway would “strengthen Cebu’s position as a top tourist destination, cementing its standing as a premier gateway to the islands of Visayas and Mindanao, and boost tourism in Central Visayas by improving accessibility for international and domestic visitors”
An expanded runway is essential for enhancing aviation security, accommodating bigger plane, and bettering airport operational effectivity. It supplies important house for secure takeoffs and landings, particularly beneath opposed climate situations, thereby lowering the chance of accidents.
“This is a major win for Philippine tourism with such an elevation of tourism infrastructure under the Marcos Administration. Increasing flight frequencies and passenger capacity up to 18 million at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport through the parallel runway benefits all stakeholders in the aviation and tourism sectors, with added accessibility to our island destinations in Cebu, the Visayas and Mindanao. This influx would not only bolster the local economy but also promote cultural exchange and foster greater global connectivity. We are grateful for this parallel runway at MCIA which would significantly improve the overall travel experience while driving growth and sustainability in the aviation and tourism industries,” stated the Tourism Chief.
“The new runway of the MCIA would also help in Cebu’s potential to grow its tourism industry, especially in dive tourism and in the meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE) wherein the province currently thrives. More importantly, this could support Cebu’s major tourism events and festivals such as the Sinulog Festival,” added the tourism chief referring to the celebration of the Sto. Niño de Cebu that pulls thousands and thousands of devotees and vacationers annually.
The Tourism Chief attended the inauguration of the MCIA’s first parallel runway led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. In his speech, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. famous “There is something special about Cebu. It’s a place where history and progress come together very gracefully, where tradition converges with innovation, and where the grit and tenacity of its people shine brightly in every achievement.”
“This new runway at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport reflects the very essence of Cebu: it is dynamic, promising, and always ready to take on challenges. And just as Cebu has been a center of trade and tourism, this parallel runway symbolizes the unrelenting drive to connect, and to grow, and to lead,” The President added.
Frasco famous that “This landmark challenge completely aligns with the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2023-2028, whereby two of its three key methods are connectivity and comfort. It will improve accessibility and assist enhance the general expertise of vacationers visiting our nation’s breathtaking websites and immersing in our wealthy
cultural experiences.”
According to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the inauguration of the primary parallel runway at Mactan-Cebu International Airport marks a significant milestone in Philippine aviation, bettering air visitors effectivity and regional connectivity, and would lead to an elevated plane motion capability of 30 per hour to 40 per hour in addition to “decrease the wear and tear of the runways as two runways will now alternately be used.”