The second busiest gateway in the country has strengthened its position as one of the leading airports in the region.
At the recent ACI Airport Experience Summit 2026 in Istanbul, Türkiye, the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) strengthened its position as one of Asia-Pacific’s leading airports for passenger experience after earning back-to-back major recognitions from Airports Council International (ACI).
The airport, which is the second busiest gateway in the Philippines, was named one of the region’s best airports once again as it ranked among the Best Airports in Asia-Pacific in the 5–15 million passengers category.
The ASQ Customer Experience Awards are based on ACI’s globally standardized passenger surveys, which measure real passenger experiences throughout the airport journey.
The ACI describes the program as a recognition grounded in the voice of passengers, with feedback collected from over 50 airport touchpoints worldwide.
its second time under the management of Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC) Airports’ management.
MCIA’s latest ASQ recognition places AIC Airports, which is the Philippines’ largest airport operator outside Manila, alongside other leading airports in the Asia-Pacific region in the 5–15 million passenger category—including airports in India, China, Indonesia, and other major aviation markets.
The MCIA first received the distinction in 2025, following AIC Airports’ assumption of operations the year prior, with the back-to-back recognition coming as AIC Airports continues to significantly invest in MCIA’s infrastructure, technology, operations, and passenger experience.
Substantial improvements have also been delivered over the past two years, which further strengthens MCIA’s ability to deliver globally competitive service standards.
AIC Vice President and Head of Airports Rafael Aboitiz noted, “These recognitions affirm our commitment to making every journey through MCIA a positive and meaningful experience. More importantly, they challenge us to continuously raise our standards and find new ways to serve our passengers better.”
He also told that their investments and improvements at the airport are “ultimately about creating better experiences for the public, strengthening connectivity, and helping Cebu and the Philippines capture more opportunities in tourism, trade, and investment.”
For his part, AIC Airports Chief Executive Officer Athanasios Titonis said that the same commitment and service benchmark set at MCIA are also being implemented in other AIC Airports which are Bohol-Panglao International Airport and Laguindingan International Airport.
“As Cebu continues Connecting You with more destinations and welcoming more travelers, we remain focused on building an airport experience that reflects the best of Cebu and the Philippines,” he added.
Furthermore, they also expressed gratefulness for the continued partnership of their group with the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority, the Department of Transportation and other government agencies in advancing MCIA as a globally competitive gateway.
In addition to that, the MCIA has also advanced to Level 3 of ACI’s Airport Customer Experience Accreditation, up from Level 2.
This makes MCIA the first and only Philippine airport to achieve this level of recognition and reflects the progress made in strengthening MCIA’s customer experience systems and practices, building on investments and operational improvements.
Airports under Level 3 are recognized for implementing an advanced customer experience strategy through multifaceted engagement involving customers, employees, and customer experience professionals.
The ACI’s accreditation framework assesses an airport’s customer experience management across eight areas, including customer understanding, strategy, measurement, operational improvement, governance, airport culture, service design and innovation, and airport community collaboration.
These latest achievements underscore MCIA’s sustained focus on delivering a seamless passenger journey and strengthening customer experience across airport operations.
Moreover, these reinforce MCIA’s role in supporting Cebu’s position as a key gateway for tourism, business, and investment in the Philippines.
Mactan–Cebu International Airport is the Philippines’ premier gateway to the Visayas and Mindanao, which serves as a vital engine for regional tourism and economic growth.
The MCIA is fully owned and managed by Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC), the infrastructure investment platform of the Aboitiz Group founded in 2015, and operating critical assets across airports, water and wastewater, and digital infrastructure.
