Saturday, December 3, 2011
SOME politicians are pushing for the transfer of the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) to Cordova town, but an airport official said yesterday the proposal is easier said than done.
“There are a thousand and one questions to consider before we could transfer the airport,” MCIA General Manager Nigel Paul Villarete told reporters yesterday.
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In a press conference, Villarete said the proposal of transferring the airport to a reclaimed area is feasible and has been done in other countries such as South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong.
However, he noted that some of the airports situated in reclaimed areas such as the Inchuan Airport in South Korea took more than seven years before it became fully operational.
That is why he is proposing for a deeper technical study on the matter.
Villarete said one of the things to be considered before proceeding with the transfer is whether the airport’s proposed transfer to Cordova will fall within the aviation plan of the country.
Other concerns are whether Cordova’s distance will be convenient and accessible for those who want to travel by air or if the airport’s set-up in the town will be beneficial to the urban planning landscape in Cebu, Villarete said.
Questions
But aside from the technical concerns, the residents of Lapu-Lapu City will also throw their own questions regarding the airport’s transfer, such as the long-term effects on the city’s economy if the MCIAA is transferred to Cordova, he added.
Villarete said these concerns and others can only be answered through a thorough feasibility study.
But Villarete clarified that while the proposal to transfer the MCIA to Cordova is still being looked upon, they are pursuing the construction of the first phase of the expansion of the terminal building.
The proposed expansion of the terminal building was the result of the feasibility study conducted by the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
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KOICA formally turned over the results of their feasibility study to the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) last Nov. 10.
Villarete said the DOTC will proceed with the implementation of the project through a public-private partnership scheme.
The first phase of the project, which would double the passenger capacity of the airport, is expected to end in 2014.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on December 03, 2011.
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