Airbus Offers A220 to PAL


For Turboprop Replacements

15 October 2025

European plane maker Airbus has offered its A220-100 plane to flag carrier Philippine Airlines according to Anand Stanley, Airbus President for Asia Pacific region.

Stanley stated that A220 offered better economics than its existing turboprop fleet which would be phased out of Ninoy Aquino International Airport. 

The A220 (Bombardier CS100) is the bigger jet sibling of its Bombardier Q400NG fleet capable of seating 100 passengers, 20 seats more than its turboprop fleet prior to its acquisition by Airbus. 

Stanley said the A220 which cost around $81 million could be a game changer for island destinations in Visayas and Mindanao, particularly Basco, and Siargao where airport infrastructure is inadequate for big jet operations.

Airbus said the A220 could also be used by the airline in reaching high-demand cities like Hongkong, Singapore, Taipei, and Seoul from its smaller hubs in the Philippines. 

"Introducing the A220 to the Philippines could balance the need for the government to keep provincial airports as is, without having to convert them into larger gateways that require additional land and resources." Stanley said. 


The 220 has two versions, -100s and -300s (CS100,CS300), with the bigger variant seating 120 passengers in two class configuration and a price tag of $91 million. The plane can be seated to high density configuration of 135 and 160 seats respectively, but could substantially affect its landing and take-off performance from smaller airports.

“This is an aircraft that can do island airports, turn around and connect to places like Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, which is extremely powerful in terms of connectivity. Today, we may need mega airports for these connections, but sometimes you need to balance this also with micro airports,” Stanley said.

Philippine Aviation Summit 2025

 

 
 
 
 

Laoag Airport to be expanded 
for possible services to Honolulu 
By Ashley Erika O. Jose 

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said the airports in Laoag City and Busuanga in northern Palawan are being readied to handle international flights, with Laoag in particular being positioned for services linking it to Honolulu. 

“The DoTr and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (have been directed) to enhance connectivity throughout the country, to increase local and international arrivals. The modernization of main gateways and regional airports will provide passengers and tourists a comfortable experience,” Transportation Undersecretary for Airports and Aviation Jim C. Sydiongco said during the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Aviation Summit on Wednesday. 

He said the goal for Laoag is to make it ready for twin-aisle aircraft in trans-Pacific service like the Airbus A330, which is likely to be employed on the Honolulu route. Mr. Sydiongco said other plans for Laoag include the rehabilitation of the passenger terminal to increase seating capacity to 980 from the current 725. 

“In Busuanga, we are undertaking the reorientation of the existing airport to accommodate jet aircraft such as the A320 and A321, supporting the projected increase air traffic across the island,” he said. 

The A320 and A321 series by Airbus are single-aisle jets typically in regional service, suggesting plans to fly in international visitors directly. Alternatively, the Airbuses would represent a capacity increase for domestic visitors, who are typically flown to Busuanga on small turboprop planes. 

 The New Busuanga Airport development project, which is expected to cost P15.15 billion. The new airport complex, to be built on 282.5 hectares, will be located next to the current airport. 

“Once completed, the new facilities including a 2,400-meter concrete runway. New landside development will enable jet operations by December 2028, further boosting tourism and economic activity in Northern Palawan,” he said. 

In September, the DoTr said detailed engineering design and feasibility studies for these expansions are ongoing for Busuanga and Siargao airports. 

The DoTr is also expecting to award the independent consultant contract for the New Dumaguete Airport project. Dumaguete airport is expected to be made compliant with international standards. The Dumaguete airport project will be funded by a P13.15-billion loan from the Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank). Tacloban airport is also due for upgrades, Mr. Sydiongco said, adding that the new terminal expected to be operational by September 2026 and the runway expansion and reclamation ready by the second quarter of 2028. 

The DoTr is also working on site acquisition for the New Zamboanga International Airport, he said, noting that civil works for this project are expected to commence by the second quarter of 2027, while commercial operations are expected by the fourth quarter of 2033. 

On the public-private partnership (PPP) front, he said the DoTr has tapped the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank’s International Finance Corp. to advise on the bundling of the Davao, Dumaguete and Siargao airport development projects. 

The DoT said that ADB is also working on the planned bundling of a larger group of airports for possible offering as PPPs, includes Laoag, Bacolod, and Tacloban. “These collaborations help ensure that project development remains transparent, and aligned with global benchmarks for sustainability,” he said.

Air India Begins MNL Flight

 3 October 2025

 

SIA Increases Manila Frequency

3 October 2025

By  Elijah Felice Rosales


MANILA, Philippines — Singapore’s flag carrier has raised its flight frequency in Manila for the first time in more than a decade on optimism that the market is well on its way to another banner year.

Singapore Airlines, one of the world’s best carriers, is betting on the Manila-Singapore corridor to grow rapidly from this year onward on the continuous expansion of the market for the route.

In turn, Singapore Airlines added a new daily flight for its Manila-Singapore service for the first time since 2009.

Singapore Airlines head of marketing and PR for the Philippines Marie Aiza Soller-Garcia said the flight raises the Manila-Singapore frequency to five times daily. This puts the airline ahead of its competitors in the market.

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines will offer Manila-Singapore flights four times a day for its winter schedule starting Oct. 26. Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific operates twice daily on the route.

Soller-Garcia said the demographics of Filipinos visiting Singapore is becoming more diverse, as the city-state expands its list of attractions to entice both solo and group travelers.

Likewise, Soller-Garcia said Singapore is capturing more corporate accounts that are heading to the city-state for business and leisure purposes.

Singapore also hosts some of the biggest events in commerce and sports, such as Formula One’s Singapore Grand Prix, Aviation Festival Asia and the Mining Asia Conference and Exhibit.

“It is still a mix, so there are solos, families and we also cater to a lot of corporate travelers. This is why we have an additional service via Flight SQ 913, 914, so that added capacity in Manila is for us to cater to that demand,” Soller-Garcia said.

The Singapore Airlines Group currently manages 86 flights per week across the Philippines. For Singapore Airlines, that covers 35 weekly flights in Manila and another seven in Cebu.

Its budget subsidiary Scoot also connects Singapore with Manila 14 times a week, Cebu 10 times a week, Davao nine times a week, Clark seven times a week and Iloilo four times weekly.

Singapore Airlines is holding a travel sale between Oct. 10 and 25, where travelers can score discounts of up to 20 percent for fares compared to regular rates. 

Starlux Returns To Manila


3 October 2025

After hiatus of more than one year, Taiwanese carrier Starlux Airlines will resume its daily flights to Manila from Dec. 16 with A321neo planes, as it strengthens its position in the Southeast Asian market.

Starlux CEO Chai Chien-hua said both business travelers and tourists would benefit from the resumption service after securing better time slots from Manila, while visitors to the Philippines would have three destinations to choose from and more transit possibilities. 

Starlux will schedule its daily flights from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Manila in the morning, with the return flight leaving around noon. The airline originally operated flights to the Philippine capital at dawn from 2021 until March 2024, which is not business friendly timeslot.

The airline already operates services to Cebu and Clark in the Philippines.

DOTR Reopens Masbate Airport

 2 October 2025


Typhoon-damaged Masbate airport reopens to the public today after extensive emergency repairs were made to make the airport accessible to the riding public one week after it was devastated by Opong. 

Transportation Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez said that repairs continue and personnel worked overtime to make the terminal safe for passengers.

Lopez said damage to terminal infrastructure amounted to 15 million. 

DOTr explained that the Masbate airport infrastructure, built in 2016, is older and less resilient than newer facilities like Calbayog Airport, constructed between 2021 and 2022.

Meanwhile, seven airports in the provinces that were hit by a strong earthquake on Tuesday night were not damaged, the country's aviation regulator reported on Wednesday.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said the airports were the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), Bacolod, Tacloban, Calbayog, Ormoc, Maasin, and Hilongos.


 

PAL Flies CEB-GUM


26 September 2025

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is flying Cebu-Guam-Cebu beginning December 16, 2025 three times weekly using Airbus A321 aircraft.

The flight departs Mactan every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, with return flights every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

The flight schedule is as follows:
• Cebu to Guam (PR120) – Departs Cebu at 9:40 p.m. arrives on Guam at 3:25 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays 
• Guam to Cebu (PR 121) – Departs Guam at 5:15 a.m., arrives in Cebu at 6:50 a.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays