BUDGET CARRIER Cebu Pacific (CEB) said it has prolonged the suspension of its Manila-Dubai flights until the tip of May resulting from the worsening situation within the Middle East.
“CEB continues to evaluate its flight operations to and from the Middle East amid the continuing security situation within the region. As this stays a developing situation, further schedule adjustments may happen,” CEB said in an advisory on Thursday.
That 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 chosen 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 corporate stays positioned to resist challenges, citing its business and financial resilience and noting that the majority of its flights are domestic.
Latest NAIA Infra Corp., the operator of the country’s foremost gateway, said it expects flight disruptions as some international services could also be affected by airspace restrictions linked to the conflict within the Middle East. — Ashley Erika O. Jose