Bad weather delays arrival of MCIA coolers

Bad weather has delayed the arrival of the new air conditioning system of Mactan Cebu International Airport.

“Unfortunately, the company told us that they have to evade several typhoons and so there will be a delay in the scheduled shipping since it will have to sail across the Pacific,” general manager Nigel Paul Villarete said.

Instead of this month, Villarete said the two 500-ton aircon units will arrive February next year and will be installed in the passenger terminal building of Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).

The airport earlier experienced cooling problems in April when its chillers which are over a decade old bogged down.

MCIA authorities have temporarily deployed independent air-conditioning units in lieu of the full functioning centralized cooling system while waiting for the new chillers.

“The airport is no longer very hot because we are trying to control the temperature. We deployed eight independent split type airconditioning units and evaporators. Well, it’s not as cold as it should be but not as warm either,” he explained.

The cargo ship carrying the two chillers is still in Singapore, the airport official said.

Once the machines arrive, installation would not take much time as the cooling towers, a device that circulates atmospheric air and cools warm water, are already completed.

“The cooling towers are ready. We are just waiting for the chillers,” he said. /Jessa J. Agua, Correspondent