Construction of new airport terminal slow, but on track

Andrew Acquaah Harrison, chief executive advisor of GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp., shows newly renovated restroom for persons with disabilities at the Mactan International Airport during a media tour. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

Project site not fully cleared yet; replication of PAF structures still ongoing

Top executives of Mactan airport concessionaire GMR-Megawide are confident that the new terminal will be completed as scheduled in 2018.

Construction is proceeding gradually as the project site has not been fully cleared of Philippine Air Force (PAF) structures. Replication of these structures in another part of the Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base is still ongoing.

Andrew Acquaah Harrison, chief executive advisor of GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp., told reporters yesterday that work on the foundation has started.

“We’re doing what we can to make sure it opens in the summer of 2018,” Harrison said.

GMR-Megawide held groundbreaking ceremonies for the new Mactan Cebu International Airport terminal in late June this year, a delay of about six months. The company has committed to complete the new facility in 36 months.

The 43,398-square-meter terminal will raise the airport’s capacity to 12.5 million from the current 4.5 million.

Mactan airport, which is the second biggest and busiest in the country after the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, served more than 7 million passengers last year.

“By 2018, it (Mactan airport) will serve an estimated 8 million passengers. We will have extra capacity,” Harrison said.

Construction of the new terminal was delayed because of PAF’s initial refusal to vacate the project site until after the affected structures are replicated.

Replication is being undertaken by contractors Granby Construction and A.V. Pamatong Construction, which have committed to complete the project 300 days or 10 months from June.

Meanwhile, more improvements have been made at the airport’s existing terminal.

Two Veripax machines are expected to operate in a few weeks. The machines will further streamline the check-in process.

Several new food and beverage stores, including the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and Seattle’s Best, have set up shop inside the terminal. Executives said that several other retailers, including Bench and Jollibee are expected to open within a few months.

GMCAC is also knocking down its VIP Lounge to expand the waiting lounge for passengers. Another lounge previously built for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) delegates is being renovated and will be used for more office spaces and an extended waiting area for passengers.

Refurbishment of several airport washrooms has been completed. A washroom with an electric sliding door for persons-with-disabilities (PWDs) is now ready for use.

Looking forward, Harrison said they hope to finish replacement of all baggage conveying lines by February 2016.

Currently, replacement and expansion of two domestic reclaim carousels are ongoing.

These are on top of the innovations undertaken by GMCAC since taking over the terminal operations in November last year.

These included the setting up of 9 self-service check-in kiosks, expanding the domestic initial security screening zone, upgrading the technology used in the airport counters, and putting up flight information display systems.

Harrison and GMCAC President Manuel Louie Ferrer were also excited about the planned Airport Village, a 230-meter strip of small retail shops, and a proposed mall near Terminal 2.

GMCAC is 60 percent owned by listed Filipino construction company Megawide Construction Corp. and 40 percent by Bangalore-based GMR Infrastructure Ltd. It bagged the 25-year concession agreement to manage and upgrade the Mactan airport terminal.