MACTAN AIRPORT RUNWAY. File photo shows the asphalt overlay works at the main runway of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in September 2018 which temporarily halted the airport's operation. The MCIA has authorized the construction of a "contingency runway" as a provision for future airside contingencies such as aircraft accidents or maintenance works at the main runway. (Photo courtesy of MCIAA)
CEBU CITY -- An additional runway will soon be constructed for future airside contingencies at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
In a statement on Tuesday, lawyer Steve Dicdican, general manager of the MCIA, said continuing increase in air traffic at the airport requires a new runway to be used in the event of an emergency that will render the main runway impassable.
He said contingencies include aircraft accidents and maintenance work at the runway.
“In the past, we have often experienced closures of our single runway due to repair, maintenance, inspections, or aircraft accidents. We want to avoid these kinds of operational disruptions and inconvenience to our passengers in the future, and that is why we are eager to construct this additional runway,” Dicdican said.
He said construction of the second runway is “timely” since the average hourly traffic at the Mactan airport is projected to increase to 43 air traffic movements (ATMs) by 2032.
“Aircraft emergencies can happen at any time, as we experienced in Cebu and Manila. We also have to factor in the runway maintenance and repairs that need to be conducted. Given the volume of air traffic that MCIA has and its impact on our community and economy, we need to ensure that airport operations will not be disrupted,” he said.
Dicdican, however, clarified that the second runway is different from the “fully independent parallel runway” proposed by the GMR Megawide Consortium.”
The independent runway, he said, is part of the private management contractor’s proposed 50-year masterplan for the airport which has been granted original proponent status by the MCIAA and is now awaiting approval from the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).
The proposal is to construct the independent runway at the Mactan Economic Processing Zone area.
The contingency runway project complements the proposed independent runway. “The additional runway project of MCIAA is expected to be completed by 2022 while the independent runway proposed by GMR Megawide is expected to be completed by 2032,” Dicdican said. (PNA)
