LAPULAPU City—The Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) welcomed new flight routes of the Philippine Airlines’ (PAL) and Cebu Pacific Air, saying the expansion significantly enhanced linkages between the Visayas and the province of Samar and Palawan, thus strengthening regional connectivity.
Th airlines flew their respective maiden flights on Sunday, with PAL opening its direct flights between Cebu and Calbayog City, and Cebu Pacific launching its daily shuttles between Cebu and El Nido in Palawan.
“This new link reinforces MCIA’s role as the premier regional transfer hub, creating vital bridges between Cebu and other key destinations in the country. This is a vital route that bridges the Visayas with Samar, opening up significant opportunities for regional economic development, tourism, and trade,” said Athanasios Titonis, chief executive officer of Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corporation (ACAC).
Cebu Pacfic’s new route connecting Cebu to El Nido complements the existing services by AirSwift and offers more travel frequencies and options.
“This maiden flight event underscored Cebu Pacific’s role in linking key Palawan destinations, including Coron, Puerto Princesa, San Vicente, and now El Nido, from Cebu. The initiative aims to boost tourism in secondary cities, benefit local businesses, and provide affordable travel options, with fares starting as low as P3,200,” said Michelle Eve de Guzman, marketing director of Cebu Pacific.
The expansion was celebrated with partners and stakeholders, highlighting the airline’s commitment to regional growth and accessibility.
De Guzman said Cebu Pacific has also announced the huge expansion of its Cebu hub with 108 additional flights to 16 destinations, with the launch of the Cebu–El Nido route being a “perfect timing for the holidays with more flights coming this December and January.”
De Guzman highlighted the importance of the new route in making it easier for passengers to “experience the natural wonders of Palawan from a single strategic hub, the MCIA.”
The new route connects Cebu directly to four key Palawan areas, Coron, Puerto Princesa, San Vicente, and El Nido, enhancing Cebu Pacific’s presence in the region, she added.
To commemorate both launches, a departure ceremony was given to passengers departing for Calbayog in the morning and to El Nido in the evening with cake-cutting ceremonies and water cannon salutes to celebrate new flights.
“We are delighted to support our partners at ACAC and Philippine Airlines in launching this new direct flight to Calbayog and Cebu Pacific Air direct flight to El Nido. We are thrilled to welcome these new routes,” said Julius Neri Jr., general manager and chief executive of MCIAA.
Neri noted that the flight expansions were a testament to MCIAA’s “shared commitment to enhancing domestic connectivity and solidifying MCIA’s role as the primary gateway for the southern and central Philippines.”
With the addition of these new routes, MCIA is connected to 28 domestic destinations and 13 international destinations with five Philippine-based and 16 foreign airline partners. The launch of the Cebu-El Nido service underscores MCIA’s continuous efforts to expand its network, providing passengers with direct access to key leisure destinations across the country.
According to the Department of Tourism here, these new direct flight routes create a positive impact to tourism and local businesses in tourism-dependent communities like Samar and Palawan and the spread of tourism more evenly across regions in the Philippines.
