Andrew Acquaah-Harrison Deputy CEO, GMR.(tonee despojo)
While current problems within the Bureau of Immigration (BI) affected hundreds of travellers flying out of the country through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, an executive at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport said that Cebu passengers are unlikely to face the same problem.
In a media briefing last Friday, Andrew Acquaah Harrison, who is the chief executive advisor of GMR- Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC), said they don’t see a replication of the NAIA problem in Cebu even this coming Holy Week when people are expected to fly out for the long weekend.
“They (BI) have a genuine issue and we see that they are doing something to solve their internal problems. We don’t however see that happening here, in fact, they have assigned additional officers here to augment the existing manpower for the Holy Week,” Harrison said.
He, however, still advised passengers to arrive early for their flights.
“The desirable time is at least three hours before your scheduled departure for those taking international flights and two hours for those taking domestic flights,” he said.
Harrison also cited efficient innovations introduced in the airport terminal to help make the seamless passage of the travellers in the terminal.
These included the arrival gate being moved to a bigger area eliminating long lines, more counters and wider spaces for the check-in area and self-service check-in kiosks. Electronic entry gates that could read electronic boarding passes have been also installed.
Aside from that, Harrison cited the airport’s PWD-friendly restroom and a restroom for children only.
He said the new restroom innovations were made upon based on the inputs and feedbacks of different passengers.
Harrison also said that they are on target in the schedule for the completion of the new terminal, Terminal 2, in June 2018.
Located beside the Terminal 1, Terminal 2 spans 6.5 hectares with a modular expansion capacity which will represent Cebu as an efficient transient hub.
With this developments, he said they were expecting to end the year with 10 million passengers using the airport.