Mactan-Cebu Airport Terminal 2 opens July 1
CEBU CITY – Terminal 2 of the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in Lapu Lapu City will be opened on July 1, with the first flight to arrive and depart via China Eastern Airline from Shanghai, China.
According to Avigael Maningo, Corporate Affairs and Branding Department head of GMR-MEGAWIDE Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC), they are expecting about 180 passengers in each flight. There will be short welcome and send-off programs for the passengers as they arrive and depart Cebu.
Maningo, in a media site open house tour and briefing Tuesday, said the new terminal will also be open for public viewing on June 27-28 prior to the July 1 opening flights for international passengers.
“T2 is dedicated to serve all international flights accommodating more than 4.5 million passengers,” Maningo added.
Maningo guided the media around Terminal 2, describing every section of the facility.
In a press briefer kit, GMCAC president Louie Ferrer described it as world-class facility and resort-gateway, reflecting the tropical resort experience of Cebu and showcasing the best Filipino service and hospitality in its design and structure.
It covers 65,500 square meters with two-level forecourt separating arrival and departure areas. The departures area has four check-in halls with 48 counters, while the arrivals area level has seven passenger boarding bridges that can be expanded to 12.
For easy access and mobility, there are 12 escalators and 15 elevators throughout T2. The parking area can accommodate 50 to 750 cars. There will also be an array of food and retail choices, including a mall, casino and a hotel.
The roof design undulates, creating drama with the sleek geometries and dynamic perspectives imitating sea waves around the Mactan Cebu Island. The internal spaces are enclosed by a transparent-glazed and soundproof glass façade about 18 meters tall creating light and space at their best.
Another area of interest to this terminal is the 19-meters long bridge link that features the Texlon-brand ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) cladding system, welded into cushions or foils that provide sun and rain protection to departing passengers being drop off in the area.
The check-in counters are made of synthetic stone counter tops embellished with Dedon’s fiber-synthetic mesh weaving and accented by LED mood lights that glow like lanterns in various colors.
With the new terminal, MCIA, with its 22 international and 33 domestic destinations, will no longer be a secondary airport, but a viable choice that connects Cebu to the rest of the Philippines and the world with its 23 partner airlines carriers, and probably more to come.