MINERVA BC NEWMAN
LAPULAPU CITY— Mactan-Cebu Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) and GMR MEGAWIDE Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC) welcomed the inaugural flight of China Airlines from Taipei Taoyuan International Airport that arrived Cebu at 11:00am yesterday, December 1 with around 120 passengers.
The aircraft was given the traditional water cannon salute upon its arrival and departures.
GMCAC President Louie Ferrer said, MCIA is very much looking forward to the China Airlines’ Cebu to Taipei service, saying that through this, MCIA hopes to strengthen leisure travel demand during this recovery period.
“We are proud to partner with China Airlines in pushing for the growth in traffic that we are working on,” he added.
Beginning December 1, China Airlines starts its direct service to and from Taipei four times weekly every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday using its Airbus A321neo aircraft with 180 seat capacity and a two-class configuration.
China Airlines sets to push for more leisure travel demand and grow the Taipei Taoyuan hub with as it adds more Southeast Asia destinations in its network.
“As China Airlines joins our network with its Cebu to Taipei service and vice versa, we are hopeful in the strong, positive growth at MCIA, most notably in recovery of passenger traffic. We are grateful for the strong support of our airline partners and the entire airport community,” MCIAA General Manager and CEO Julius Neri, Jr. said.
With the addition of this new carrier, MCIA now has 13 foreign and 4 Philippine-based airline partners and connecting to 27 domestic destinations and 10 international destinations
A departure ceremony was also given to passengers departing for Taipei on the same day with a cake-cutting ceremony and a water cannon salute. Flights from MCIA to Taipei also operate four times weeklv and departing around 11:35 a.m.
Neri thanked China Airlines for considering and interconnecting Cebu as a tourist destination. The arrival of China Airlines here is an important step to Cebu’s economic recovery. With this new airline, new connection to Taipei, China reconnect Cebu to China and to the world.
China Airlines general manager-Philippines, David Fu Sheng Wang Welcomed everyone and the first passengers from Taipei to this ceremony. He said that two years ago this was already in the pipeline with Cebu and Mindanao as profitable markets, adding that China airlines is a major carrier to the world.
Subhash Murikenchery, GMR MEGAWIDE Cebu Airport Corporation Chief Executive Advisor said they are all excited for this milestone as a wonderful step to take opening its route to Taipei.
“I think with this, more and more airlines are coming and we are looking forward to a great economy with China Airlines paving the way for more airlines to come,” Murikenchery said.
To welcome the aircraft and its passengers, Chih Yuan Hsieh, China Airlines General Manager for Cebu branch; Julius G. Neri Jr., Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority General Manager; Fu Sheng Wang, China Airlines General Manager for the Philippines branch; Subhash Murikenchery, GMR MEGAWIDE Cebu Airport Corporation Chief Executive Advisor and Riza Macaibay, Department of Tourism Region 7 led the cake and ribbon cutting ceremony today at the MCIA departure area for Taipei.
