GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC), the private operator of Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), the country’s second largest gateway, is in talks with the SM Group and seven other companies for the bidding of the contract to develop a six-hectare property at the airport. 
 
Louie Ferrer, GMCAC president, in an interviewwith reporters said the company is looking for a third party that would develop a mall and hotel complex with a casino in the property, which is located near the airport’s Terminal 2. 
 
Ferrer said local and international companies are expected to participate in the bidding which is targeted in the next two months. 
 
The operation of the MCIA was turned over to GMCAC last December under a 25-year concession agreement that involves the renovation of the Terminal 1 as well as the design, financing, construction and operation of a second terminal due to open in 2018 to accommodate the increasing passenger traffic. 
 
Ferrer said the first phase of Terminal 2 is targeted to be completed in October 2018. This will increase the airport’s passenger capacity to 13 million from its current 4.5 million ideal capacity. At the end of the 25-year concession, the capacity would increase to 28 million. 
 
Last year, GMCAC reported that airport passengers reached around 8 million from 7.2 million in 2014, well beyond the terminal’s original capacity of 4.5 million passengers per annum. Passenger traffic is expected to reach 24 million by the end of the concession.
 
Ferrer is expecting passenger growth to double this year as both international and local airlines have been expanding their operations in Cebu. 
 
GMCAC has spent a total of $15 million or about P700 million on Terminal 1’s renovations so far.   
 
Recently, Emirates Airline has launched its new circular services in Cebu and three other carriers – Philippine Airlines, EVA Air and Xiamen Air – have expanded operations in MCIA last month. 
 
Qatar Airlines also announced plans to expand its route in Cebu, Ferrer said. 
 
Tourists from China, Japan and Korea have driven the tourist growth. 
 
MCIA bagged the award “Asia Pacific 2015 PPP Deal of the Year” during the IJGlobal Awards Asia Pacific held in Singapore last March 3, 2016.This is the fourth award accorded to MCIA since it was managed and operated by GMCAC in November 1, 2014.
 
The airport’s public-private partnership deal also won Best Transport Deal for Asia Pacific by the Project Finance International in February 2016, Project Finance Deal of the Year and Best Transport Deal of the Year by The Asset in 2015, and third place in Best Transit Category for 2015 by the Partnerships Awards.