Cebu airport adds more domestic destinations

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March 23, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), the country’s second busiest gateway, is preparing to become a transfer hub to emerging cities and island destinations across the archipelago.

With turboprops exiting the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), MCIA is gearing up to capture some of the transferring demand for flights to island destinations like Busuanga, El Nido and Siargao.

Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific is increasing its flight network in MCIA to meet the travel uptick for the dry season, shrugging off pessimism that booking demand would weaken this year due to rising fuel prices.

Cebu Pacific is introducing 33 more weekly flights from Cebu starting March 29. The expansion will benefit Bacolod, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Caticlan, Clark, El Nido, Dumaguete, Iloilo and Tacloban.

Further, the airline owned by the Gokongweis will raise its weekly frequencies from Cebu to 23 flights to Butuan and 17 for Bacolod by mid-June. By then, the carrier will be connecting Cebu to 31 destinations across the Philippines.

Similarly, AirAsia Philippines is bringing in new flight options for travelers departing from Cebu to give them the flexibility based on their schedule.

AirAsia Philippines added a morning flight to Iloilo to cater to guests who have to arrive early in the day, and the airline also introduced afternoon trips to Caticlan, so tourists can easily check in their hotels upon getting to Boracay.

Moreover, AirAsia Philippines scaled up Cebu flights to Davao to 18 times a week, as it aims to strengthen air travel between Visayas and Mindanao.

Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. (AIC), operator of MCIA, is working on the expansion of the gateway’s flight reach for ease of access for travelers from Visayas. AIC vice president and head of airports Rafael Aboitiz said the goal is to connect Cebu to as many destinations as possible.

“MCIA is fast becoming the Philippines’ most efficient and accessible transfer hub. Through our growing network and strong airline partnerships, we are making it easier for travelers to connect across the archipelago,” Aboitiz said.

By March 29, all turboprop flights will pull out of NAIA as instructed by regulators, and airlines are relocating them to secondary airports like MCIA.

MCIA handled at least 11.6 million passengers in 2025, as the airport gained from additional flights and new services brought in by carriers.