The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) has been voted by passengers to win the 2024 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Award for Best Airport (5 to 15 Million Passengers Per Annum category) in Asia-Pacific, according to Airports Council International (ACI) World.
The annual ASQ Awards recognize airport excellence in customer experience based on direct passenger feedback.
The achievement reflects travelers’ appreciation for the airport’s efforts in delivering a superior customer experience.
MCIA welcomed over 900,000 international tourists in 2023, comprising 17 percent of the country’s total visitor arrivals.
MCIA also serves as a growth driver for Central Visayas. The region’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022 stood at P388 billion, contributing 1.9 percent to the national GDP.
In 2023, the first full year from when the Aboitiz Group took over MCIA, it saw an 81-percent increase in passenger traffic compared to the previous year.
Athanasios Titonis, CEO of Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corp., expressed gratitude to the MCIA team, saying: “I am tremendously grateful to the MCIA team for delivering to its promise of excellence in customer experience.”
“We had been working hard in ensuring we bring world-class airport experience and elevate the perception of airports in the Philippines. This win is key in our vision of becoming the main Tourism and Transfer Gateway in the country,” he added.
The Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) also welcomed the recognition with great pride, with MCIAA general manager Julius Neri saying: “We have always been proud of what MCIA has accomplished and how it brings pride to Cebuanos.”
“Now, it has brought pride beyond Cebu but also for the entire Philippines. We share this award to all stakeholders and partners who had been instrumental in making this happen,” he added.
ACI World director general Justin Erbacci praised MCIA’s commitment to excellence, saying that “Flying through MCIA is more than just a journey; it’s a carefully crafted experience. Their success in the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards highlights the team’s ability to make every passenger’s trip memorable and enjoyable.”
The ACI ASQ initiative is the only global benchmarking program that measures passenger satisfaction in real time, based on feedback collected directly from travelers at the airport.
Implemented at over 400 airports worldwide, the program provides a detailed assessment of customer service quality, allowing for continuous improvements that enhance the passenger experience.