Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) has been named Asia’s Airport of the Year at the 2025 TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards, thanks to improvements that significantly shortened passenger transfer times.
The award recognizes the airport’s CEBConnects system, which reduced the minimum connection time (MCT) for domestic-to-domestic flights from 60 to 35 minutes, and set 60 minutes for domestic-to-international, international-to-domestic, and international-to-international transfers.
“By leveraging Cebu’s central location, we’re not just speeding up connections; we’re making it easier for travelers to reach other destinations and start their vacation experience the moment they arrive,” said Athanasios Titonis, CEO of Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corporation (ACAC), the airport’s operator.
Aboitiz InfraCapital took over MCIA in 2024 after acquiring Megawide Construction Corp.’s stake in GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC) for P7.76 billion. GMCAC holds a 25-year concession to develop and maintain the airport.
MCIA general manager Julius Neri Jr. highlighted the benefits for both airlines and passengers: “CEBConnects has improved on-time performance and made MCIA a highly competitive and reliable hub for regional travel.”
Currently, the airport serves 25 airline partners and maintains an average on-time performance of nearly 80%.