The Manila Slot Coordination Committee (MSCC) has pushed back the deadline for the end of turboprop operations at Manila Ninoy Aquino International and the forced relocation to Angeles City Clark International from October 2025 to March 2026, the Manila Bulletin reported.
"The MSCC recognised that additional time may be needed to effectively manage and mitigate the impact of such transfer, and address logistical and informational challenges," said the body, which includes various representatives of the government and the airport operator.
However, to ensure the gradual phase-out of turboprops from the country's main, notoriously congested gateway, only 42 weekly and a maximum of six daily turboprop departures will be authorised during the Winter 2025/2026 season. Philippine Airlines (through its DHC-8-Q400-operating subsidiary PAL Express) and Cebu Pacific Air (through ATR72-600-operating Cebgo) are expected to split the allocation with 21 operations each.
The government began gradually closing Manila airport to turboprops in March 2025, but the decision was met with criticism from industry stakeholders and politicians concerned about the impact on connectivity to second- and third-tier cities.
Philippine Airlines told ch-aviation that it will communicate its plans for the winter season network once the decision to move the deadline is official. ch-aviation contacted Cebu Pacific Air for comment.
ch-aviation data shows that Cebgo currently operates 59 weekly turboprop departures to four destinations out of Manila, and 38 weekly departures to seven destinations out of Clark. In turn, PAL Express operates 59 weekly departures to seven destinations out of Manila and 17 to three destinations out of Clark. Besides the two dominant carriers, AirSWIFT (a Cebu Pacific Air subsidiary) operates 42 weekly departures out of Manila to El Nido using ATR turboprops, and Sunlight Air flies daily from the capital airport to Cebu with its ATRs.
