BUDGET CARRIER Cebu Pacific (CEB) said it has extended the suspension of its Manila-Dubai flights until the end of May due to the worsening situation in the Middle East.
“CEB continues to assess its flight operations to and from the Middle East amid the ongoing security situation in the region. As this remains a developing situation, further schedule adjustments may take place,” CEB said in an advisory on Thursday.
This is the second extension of the suspension of Manila-Dubai services. The airline earlier moved the suspension to April 30 from its initial plan to cancel flights only until April 20.
The airline said affected passengers may avail themselves of free rebooking, travel fund conversion, or refunds.
CEB has also suspended five routes — Davao-Bangkok, Iloilo-Bangkok, Iloilo-Singapore, Singapore-Iloilo, and Clark-Hanoi-Clark — until October 2026.
It has reduced weekly frequencies on selected domestic and international routes from April to October, including Cebu-Singapore, Singapore-Cebu, Manila-Jakarta, Jakarta-Manila, Manila-Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur-Manila, Manila-Melbourne-Manila, and Manila-Sydney-Manila.
Last month, CEB Chief Executive Officer Michael B. Szücs said the company remains positioned to withstand challenges, citing its commercial and financial resilience and noting that most of its flights are domestic.
New NAIA Infra Corp., the operator of the country’s main gateway, said it expects flight disruptions as some international services may be affected by airspace restrictions linked to the conflict in the Middle East. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
