Cebu’s P17.5-B resort airport to open in July

CEBU CITY—The world’s first resort airport will be opening its doors soon.

The P17.5-billion Terminal 2 of the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) is set to be inaugurated on June 7.

President Duterte is expected to grace the inauguration, said Louie Ferrer, president of GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC).

Ferrer said the resort airport would start commercial operations on July 1, as stated in their concession agreement.

Between the inauguration and the official opening, GMCAC will be opening the Terminal 2 on certain days for the public and guests to visit.

Test runs and clean up will also be made during the period.

Terminal 2 is expected to increase the airport’s passenger capacity to 12.5 million yearly.

It will cater to inbound and outbound international flights.

The new terminal spans 65,500 square meters and was designed by Hong Kong-based Integrated Design Associates (IDA) together with local designers Budji Layug, Royal Pinda and Cebu’s very own Kenneth Cobonpue.

Its design is envisioned to display the “warmth and friendliness” of the local culture and people of Cebu.

The most recognizable feature of Terminal 2 is its curved wooden roof which also integrates layered glass to allow natural sunlight to seep through the facility. This sunlight would then reflect on the terminal’s tiles, made of polished concrete and contains mother of pearls sourced in Cebu to create a glimmer that is similar to sand—representation of its resort feel.

There will be 48 check-in counters, which can be expanded to 72.

Each counter is designed with rattan and is back-lighted to make it look like a lantern. It has provisions for seven passenger boarding bridges which can be expanded to 12.

The entire terminal is equipped with 12 escalators and 15 elevators.

A car parking facility will be available that can accommodate 550 cars, which can be expanded to 750 cars.

The terminal will have an automatic tray return system (ATRS) which would make it easier for passengers to pass through X-ray machines.

The ATRS will automatically return empty trays for passengers to put their bags, ending the hassle to look for one.