Cebu Pacific flights to Masbate, Siargao moving to Clark

Cebu Pacific will transfer its direct flights to Masbate and Siargao from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) to Clark International Airport by March 30 as the country’s primary gateway gradually phases out turboprop operations to make way for bigger jets.

In a statement on Thursday, the low-cost carrier said the move was in line with the resolution that the Manila Slot Coordination Committee issued in December.

“Cebu Pacific recognizes the importance of managing airport capacity effectively, which will lead to improved passenger experience and greater public convenience,” the Gokongwei-led airline said.

Affected passengers will be given a notice in the coming days and can be granted free rebooking and refund.

For its subsidiary AirSwift Transport Inc., which operates turboprop flights to Palawan, will remain at Naia Terminal 2 until March 2026 before also moving out as the resolution requires. There is no information yet about where AirSwift will transfer.

Noel Manankil, president and CEO of Clark airport operator LIPAD Corp., earlier said they were ready to provide slots for the turboprops coming from Naia.

Manankil said the transfer would allow the Pampanga gateway to serve more passengers, as the airport has yet to fully maximize its 8-million annual passenger capacity.

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Last year, the volume of passengers that went through the Clark airport surged by 20 percent to 2.4 million, most of which were accounted for by international travelers.

Transferring turboprops outside Naia will allow the country’s main gateway in order to allocate more slots to bigger jets that can accommodate more passengers and can fly to international destinations.

This is in line with the mandate of the New Naia Infra Corp. to expand the annual passenger capacity of the Manila airport in response to the projected growth in travel in the coming years.