Cargo volume handled at the Philippines’ second busiest air gateway, Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), dropped 23% in the first 11 months of 2016, according to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA).
MCIAA data showed that cargo traffic from January to November 2016 reached 60.952 million kilograms, lower than the 79.016 million kg lifted in the same period in 2015.
Of the total, domestic cargoes accounted for 74.5% while international traffic contributed 25.5%.
Domestic cargoes totalled 45.426 million kg, 25% lower than 60.827 million kg handled in the same period last year. The volume of international cargoes likewise dropped, falling 15% to 15.526 million kg from 18.189 million kg.
The decline in cargo volume contrasts with the number of flights logged during the period, which rose 14% to 64,871 flights from 56,841 flights during the same period in 2015.
Domestic flights grew 13.5% to 50,736 from 44,683, while international flights likewise improved, expanding 16.2% to 14,135 from 12,158.
As of November, MCIA services 19 airlines while two more, Japanese carrier Vanilla Air and South Korea-based T’way Air, started direct flights last December.
In terms of passage, MCIA served more people, processing 8.023 million passengers, 14% higher than the 7.058 million passengers that used the airport in the first 11 months of 2015.
In November last year, MCIA was named Asia-Pacific Airport of the Year by aviation think tank Centre for Aviation (CAPA) for its “rapid growth since a successful privatisation in late 2014.”
CAPA said the Cebu air hub has emerged as “a leader among small to medium sized airports while GMCAC’s (GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation) strategy of positioning Cebu as an alternative hub to Manila for domestic to international connections is starting to pay dividends.” GMCAC in 2014 was awarded a 25-year concession of the airport.
CAPA noted that MCIA has become one of the fastest growing airports in Asia, recording a 14% growth in 2015 to 7.8 million passengers. International growth has been particularly fast, with a 20% rise in 2015 and a 19% increase in the first nine months of 2016. – Roumina Pablo
