Cebu biggest loser in flight shutdowns

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March 27, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Cebu stands as the biggest loser in the shutdown of international flights as the province will be cut off from at least three foreign countries by April.

In an advisory, flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) said it is suspending Cebu flights to Guam from April 16 until further notice, roughly four months after it was launched.

Likewise, PAL is terminating Cebu services to Ho Chi Minh indefinitely starting April 19, but it is sparing a handful of flights, particularly on May 1, 3, 24 and 31.

Apart from this, the airline is removing Cebu trips to Ozamiz by May 5 and to Calbayog by May 6, also stopping it until further notice. PAL will also suspend Clark flights to Siargao by May 4.

Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific was first to announce the suspension of Cebu flights to Singapore starting April 16 as part of efforts to reduce fuel consumption. Given this, the carrier will be left with six international markets from Cebu, namely, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Incheon, Narita and Osaka.

PAL, for its part, will be retaining Cebu flights to Incheon, Narita and Osaka, which are some of the high-demand routes whatever the season is.

Cebu Pacific is also calling off Manila flights to Dubai until April 20, as it is safer for passengers and crew given the evolving situation in the Middle East.

“To ensure the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew, Cebu Pacific has canceled its flights to and from Dubai until April 20, 2026,” the airline said.

Both PAL and Cebu Pacific are offering affected passengers the chance to rebook flights for free. They may also convert tickets into travel credits for future use, or ask for a full refund subject to applicable policies.

The country’s leading carriers are reducing their scheduled flights to cope with rising fuel prices. Based on data from the International Air Transport Association, jet fuel prices have gone up by 13 percent on a weekly comparison to $197 per barrel as of March 20.

Despite this, both PAL and Cebu Pacific said they have enough volume of jet fuel to complete scheduled flights, whether domestic or long-range.

PAL said it is supplied with sufficient fuel to deliver even its transPacific services to Canada and the US, while Cebu Pacific is building up its inventory for May and beyond.