Mactan-Cebu airport posts growth in air, passenger traffic amid oil crisis

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Despite a rise in air fares primarily due to the Middle East war, the country’s second-busiest gateway posted double-digit growth in air and passenger traffic.

Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) recorded 5.6 million passengers passing through its domestic and international terminals between January and May this year, data from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) showed.

The figures were 12.16 percent higher compared to the same period in 2025, when the airport recorded roughly 5 million passengers.

READ MORE: Mactan-Cebu airport named ‘Best Airport’ in Asia Pacific

Likewise, the volume of air traffic at MCIA grew by about 32.53 percent — from 41,962 in 2025 to 47,586 in 2026.

Asean Tourism Forum

Domestic passengers remain the biggest contributor to MCIA’s foot traffic, with MCIAA recording a total of 4,109,044 passengers flying in and out of Terminal 1.

Meanwhile, 1,498,730 international passengers passed through the airport from January to May, an approximately 23 percent increase compared to the 1,221,256 posted in the same period for 2025.

In both years, January consistently recorded the highest passenger totals for the five-month period across all categories. Experts have been attributing this trend to the Sinulog Festival.

For 2026, many also considered the hosting of the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Tourism Summit in Cebu as another factor for the impressive numbers for January.

READ MORE: ASEAN Tourism Forum in Cebu a success – Frasco

Oil crisis

In contrast, April had the lowest passenger volume, both for domestic and international flights, despite being the start of the summer and end-of-school travel season.

That month, the Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) had imposed its highest fuel surcharge rate following the oil crisis triggered by the US vs. Iran war.

Global jet fuel prices spiked sharply due to the geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East. In response, the CAB raised the passenger fuel surcharge to Level 19—just one step below the absolute maximum ceiling of Level 20.

READ MORE: Air fares rising in April as fuel surcharge more than doubles

Under this peak rate, travelers faced additional fees ranging from ₱627 to ₱1,834 for domestic flights and ₱2,070.77 to ₱15,397.15 for international routes.

By May, the numbers for domestic passengers had slightly improved. However, for international passengers, they declined further to 241,832 from 266,331 in April.

MCIA can accommodate up to 16 million passengers. Currently, it connects to a total of 44 destinations, both local and overseas.

READ MORE: More airlines opening flights to new destinations from MCIA — exec

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