NAIA turboprop ban moved to 2026

MANILA, Philippines — The slot regulator at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport has decided to postpone the looming ban on turboprops at NAIA to next year to give airlines more time to adjust their flights.

Cebu Pacific, the country’s largest carrier by fleet and passenger size, confirmed to The STAR that it has received a new order from the Manila Slot Coordination Committee, which informed airlines that the original deadline for turboprop exit in October is moved to March next year.

Alexander Lao, Cebu Pacific president, said the airline would have to reassess plans following the issuance of the order.

Cebu Pacific, which operates an all-turboprop fleet for its regional unit Cebgo, was ready to withdraw all of its turboprops from NAIA.

It has already moved most of the Cebgo flights to Cebu and Clark. It also relocated in March the Cebgo flights to Masbate and Siargao in compliance with the order to phase out an initial 30 percent of turboprops.

Currently, Clark International Airport hosts Cebgo services to Siargao, Tagbilaran, Masbate, El Nido, Busuanga and Cebu.

At NAIA, what remains of Cebu Pacific’s turboprop flights are to Busuanga and Naga, as well as to El Nido via AirSWIFT Transport, which Cebu Pacific bought out last year.

Turboprops, which are smaller in size compared to jetliners, are tasked to fly primarily to island destinations such as Siargao, where airports have shorter and underdeveloped runways.