GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC), the operator of Mactan-Cebu International Airport in the Philippines, has opened its new PHP17.5bn (US$328m) Terminal 2 (T2) facility following several months of operational testing.
Designed by Hong Kong-based architect Integrated Design Associates (IDA), the 65,500m² (6085ft²) facility was constructed as part of GMCAC’s 25-year concession for the airport. It has been purpose-built to cater for international travelers and will increase the airport’s capacity from 4.5 million passengers per annum to 12.5 million.
The operational readiness and airport transfer (ORAT) program began in November 2017 with familiarization training and walk-throughs for the airport employees, including the testing of airport facilities, processes, policies and IT systems.
More than 600 volunteers recruited from the Mactan-Cebu Airport Facebook page played a key role as passengers during the simulation sessions. Each participant was asked to provide feedback at the end of their trial experience.
“The most critical planning aspect toward the opening was the testing of T2’s operational readiness and the alignment of various processes,” explained GMCAC chief executive adviser Andrew Harrison. “We needed to ensure, through the ORAT program, that all facilities and processes were ready for commercial operations in July.”