As part of efforts to help address the ongoing airport capacity problems faced by Manila's airport, Cebu Pacific is transferring turboprop aircraft flights operated by its subsidiary CebGo from Manila to Masbate and Siargao to Clark International Airport.
From March 30, the Manila-based Cebu Pacific announced four roundtrip flights operated by CebGo (DG) from Manila to both Masbate and Siargao will be affected by the move to Clark – located north of Manila.
The outbound/inbound flights that will be shifted from Manila to Clark will include:
Manila-Masbate: DG6177/DG6178
Manila-Siargao: DG 6837/DG6838, DG6839/DG6840, DG6841/DG6842
While shifting the flights to Siargao and Masbate, Cebu Pacific also stated direct services between Manila and Surigao will be cancelled. Passengers will have the option to connect via Cebu.
Passengers affected will be notified on rebooking, cancellation, and refund options.
Shift of Turboprop Aircraft-operated flights out of Manila Airport
The move is in line with a resolution issued by the Philippine Department of Transportation's Manila Slot Coordination Committee on December 3 to transfer turboprop aircraft operations from Manila to nearby airports. Airport and government officials aim to allow for the capital city's main airport to accommodate more passengers with larger jet aircraft.
According to a report from ABS-CBN, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) plans to shift 30% of turboprop aircraft operations to Clark or other secondary airports by March.
Airlines such as Cebu Pacific's CebGo and Philippine Airlines' PAL Express will be affected. Smaller aircraft with all-turboprop aircraft fleets such as Sunlight Air, Island Aviation, and AirSwift – a Cebu Pacific subsidiary – will have a year from March to implement the transfer.
As of the writing of this article, none of the other Philippine-based airlines besides Cebu Pacific has made an official announcement for any shift of flights operated by turboprop aircraft at Manila Airport.
“CEB (Cebu Pacific) recognizes the importance of managing airport capacity effectively, which will lead to improved passenger experience and greater public convenience,” Cebu Pacific said in a statement.
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