Any Swiss challenger to GMCAC’s P208-B airport bid?

Mactan airport contractor GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC) has primed itself for a Swiss challenge to its P208-billion bid to develop the Mactan airport not just in 25 years but in 50.

GMCAC has submitted an unsolicited proposal to the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority and is leaving it to MCIAA to invite other contractors to match or exceed its bid. The multi-national conglomerate sees that it can’t recover its investment in 25 years as it had envisioned five years back, given the rapidly changing travel environment. More on this.

The GMR-Megawide consortium yesterday said they are ready to face Swiss challengers to their P208.8-billion proposal to the government, including the construction of a second runway and a third passenger terminal.

GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC) is seeking approval from the Department of Transportation and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) to extend their concession for another 25 years.

GMCAC president Louie Ferrer said they need that time to recover their investments that will also include a reclamation proj- ect, which will serve as the relocation site for Mactan Economic Zone firms that will be affected.

Ferrer said their studies show that Mactan airport needs a second runway to prevent a similar situation at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), which is congested, delaying both do- mestic and international flights.

They also project 28 million passengers to use the Mactan airport by 2039, he said.

Jim Feliciano of the Business Development Citicore Holdings, a Megawide mother company, presented the long-term development to ensure that the capacity is assured for the next 50 years.

Feliciano said that Cebu, like all other airports in the country only has one runway, but that is only capable of handling the needs a region for the short and medium term.

The rule of thumb is a single runway can handle as much as 20 million passenger per year. Beyond that, at least two run- ways are needed, he said.

Feliciano said NAIA handles 39 million passengers annually and it only has a one-and-half runway.

“So, you can imagine the amount of congestion already being experienced by that airport…,” he said.

Under a 50-year proposal, GMR Megawide intends to take over the air-side facilities from MCIAA and secure the unconstrained growth of the airport by providing a capacity of at least 50 million passengers annually.

If approved, GMR-Megawide will rehabilitate the existing runway and taxiway, and build a parallel and independent runway and a third terminal.

If approved, GMR-Megawide will rehabilitate existing runway, build a parallel runway and a third terminal.