The runway of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) is being rehabilitated in phases. Some flights have been canceled.
Some flights will be canceled today as the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) temporarily closes its runways to give way to preliminary works of the second phase of the runway rehabilitation.
The runway will be closed for six hours, from 2:30 to 8:30 a.m. today in order to resurface each end of the runway, known as the Touch Down Zones (TDZ), which is about 350 meters.
The runway rehabilitation was undertaken by the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority after complaints from some airlines of the condition of the runway.
Cebu Pacific Air and Philippine Airlines posted on their respective social media accounts the flights affected by the runway repair works.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and all commercial airlines were involved in the planning and coordination of the runway repair in order to ensure smooth operations.
“The runway repairs are precautionary in nature and are designed to ensure that the best possible level of safety is afforded to the passengers and stakeholders of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport,” said MCIAA General Manager Steve Dicdican.
MCIA encouraged passengers to get in touch with their booked airlines for changes in their travel plans.
“MCIAA is asking for the public’s understanding for the inconvenience that the passengers and other airport users will be exposed to. We apologize for whatever inconvenience this may cause even as we ask for everybody’s cooperation at this time,” an MCIA statement issued on Thursday read.
Originally, the runway resurfacing plan was envisioned to be carried out over a six-month period with daily closure of the runway for seven hours each night.
But the plan proved to be too disruptive for the airlines and passengers.
“Alternative measures were established to ensure the work could be done in phases with minimum disruption to airport operations,” said Andrew Harrison, Chief Executive Adviser of GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation, which manages the airport terminals.