Routes 2023 awards: MCIA hailed best in Asia

CEBU, Philippines —  The Mactan-Cebu International Airport was named Asia's Best Airport in Airport and Destination Marketing in under 5 million passenger category during the Routes Asia 2023 Awards held the other night in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The award was given to MCIA for its "two-pronged approach to route development -- airline marketing to create supply, and destination marketing to ensure the sustainability of its airline partners' presence and address the demand for air services."

Julius Neri Jr., Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority general manager and chief executive officer, attributed this triumph to the partnership between MCIAA and the airport operator, GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC).

Garcia also credited the success to the leadership of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco, and Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista.

The awards are highly regarded in the aviation industry for recognizing marketing services that support new and existing air services, as well as excellence and innovation in the route development community.

 The Routes Asia 2023 Marketing Award recognizes the remarkable efforts of airports, airlines, and destinations during their 2022 streak as they carry out their recovery strategies for 2023.

 In this category, MCIA bested more than 200 airports in the Asia-Pacific.

“This recognition attests to our strong commitment to resume our pre-pandemic connectivity while we carry out our strategies in both airline and destination marketing,” said GMCAC director Rafael Aboitiz in a statement.

 Aboitiz added that they also recognize the substantial contribution of MCIAA, their airline partners and other airport stakeholders that help sustain the demand and traffic for air connectivity in Cebu.

 GMCAC said that the addition of new airline partners and new destinations in 2022 significantly boosted the pre-pandemic traffic in Cebu, with domestic topping more than 80% of its pre-pandemic levels while international traffic also now kicking in as more countries ease restrictions.

Taipei-based airline company Starlux joined the MCIA fleet in January 2023, stacking 10 international destinations and 26 domestic destinations, with 14 foreign and four Philippine-based airline partners.

  Aside from MCIA, the award-giving body also awarded the Philippines’ DOT, as the winner in the Destination category.

 In a separate press release of Route, it said that DOT has continued to be persistent in its efforts to partner with airports and airlines to reinstate discontinued routes and secure new air services.

 “It has done this through marketing efforts locally and globally, regional travel exchanges and business-to-business meetings, joint campaigns, international roadshows, and familiarisation tours for agents and media,” it added.

The FREEMAN tried to contact Garcia-Frasco, a Cebuana, for comments on this recent recognition, but she was not available as of press time. – JMD (FREEMAN)