The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
The Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) and Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport in Fujian, China, are boosting each other’s efforts to add new air links and encourage tourism and investment flows between the two destinations, following the recent relaunch of Cebu-Quanzhou direct flights operated by Xiamen Air.
MCIA said a working committee with representatives from the Chinese gateway agreed to a quarterly review of route development and identify commercial opportunities that will support tourism and economic development.
MCIA said the working committee would allow leadership and operational teams from both airports, along with Xiamen Air, to regularly exchange insights, monitor progress and explore joint initiatives.
The collaboration also covers utilizing artificial intelligence in airport operations, as well as safety, security and operational resilience initiatives.
“Even during periods of uncertainty, including rising fuel costs and other industry headwinds, we continued to work together to sustain connectivity, support tourism, and create opportunities for our communities,” said Athanasios Titonis, CEO of Aboitiz InfraCapital Airports, operator of MCIA.
As of May 2026, China emerged as fifth largest source of foreign visitors.
The Department of Tourism earlier said it was counting on Chinese arrivals to help boost visitor numbers this year, particularly after the government granted Chinese tourists a 14-day visa-free privilege last January.
Titonis said the airport partnership also builds on long standing ties between Cebu and Fujian, which formalized a sister-province relationship in 2018 to promote cooperation in tourism, trade and cultural exchanges.
“The relationship between the Philippines and China has long been shaped by trade, cultural exchange, and people-to-people connections,” he said.
This partnership forms part of MCIA’s efforts to strengthen connectivity with China and attract more visitors through the country’s second-busiest airport, which handled 11.6 million passengers in 2025.
MCIA is part of Aboitiz InfraCapital’s airport portfolio, which also includes Bohol-Panglao International Airport and Laguindingan International Airport. year, particularly after the government granted Chinese tourists a 14-day visa-free privilege in January.
Apart from the Cebu-Quanzhou route, air connectivity between the Philippines and China also expanded in recent months, with Xiamen Air launching Chongqing-Manila and Hangzhou-Manila flights, and Qingdao Airlines opening a Changsha-Manila route in May.