Cebu Pacific suspends flights, reduces frequency on select routes due to Middle East crisis

It is a temporary measure to confront the effects of the regional crisis and the supply of fuel around the world.

On Monday, March 23, Filipino budget carrier Cebu Pacific announced temporary network adjustments, such as frequency reductions and flight cancellations, in response to the ongoing Middle East crisis and its impact on global fuel prices, which have more than doubled compared with 2025 averages, as per the airline.

The routes and flights that have been suspended, as well as the effectivity date of the temporary measures, are as follows.

• 5J 5964/5965 – Davao – Bangkok (Don Mueang) – Davao – April 13 – October 23, 2026
• 5J 5970/5971 – Iloilo – Bangkok (Don Mueang) – Iloilo – April 17 – October 24, 2026
• 5J283 – Iloilo – Singapore – June 15 – October 23, 2026
• 5J 284 – Singapore – Iloilo – June 16 – October 24, 2026
• 5J 5872/5873 – Clark – Hanoi – Clark – May 2 – October 25, 2026

Meanwhile, the following flights and routes will see their frequencies reduced for the time being:

• 5J 547 – Cebu – Singapore – From 7x weekly to 5x weekly (axed Thursday and Saturday flights)
• 5J 548 – Singapore – Cebu – From 7x weekly to 5x weekly (axed Friday and Sunday flights)
• 5J 759 – Manila – Jakarta – From 7x weekly to 4x weekly (axed Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday flights)
• 5J 760 – Jakarta – Manila – From 7x weekly to 4x weekly (axed Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday flights)
• 5J 501 – Manila – Kuala Lumpur – From 7x weekly to 5x weekly (axed Wednesday and Friday flights)
• 5J 502 – Kuala Lumpur – Manila – From 7x weekly to 5x weekly (axed Thursday and Saturday flights)
• 5J 049 – Manila – Melbourne – From 5x weekly to 4x weekly (affecting May 14 and 28, 2026 flights only)
• 5J 050 – Melbourne – Manila – From 5x weekly to 4x weekly (affecting May 15 and 29, 2026 flights only)
• 5J 039 – Manila – Sydney – From 7x weekly to 5x weekly (affecting flights on May 4, 8, 13, 17, 22, 27, 31)
• 5J 040 – Sydney – Manila – From 7x weekly to 5x weekly (affecting flights on May 5, 9, 14, 18, 23, 28, and June 1)

“We understand that these changes may disrupt travel plans, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience,” added CEB in its advisory.

In light of this, affected passengers have been informed and provided with the options through the Manage Booking portal in the airline’s website.

These are Free Rebooking without fare difference subject to availability up to 30 days before or after their original flight; converting the value of their fare to the non-expiring Travel Fund, which can be used for future trips; or ask for a refund of their fare, although processing time depends on the form of payment.

They also encouraged customers to keep their contact details updated via the CEB website or mobile app, and to check CEB’s social media channels for the latest advisories.

“CEB is proactively taking measures to ensure stable and sustainable operations,” added the budget carrier. “These network adjustments have been carefully implemented to address the current impact, with the rest of our network expected to operate as scheduled.”

Earlier, Cebu Pacific has suspended its flights to and from Dubai until March 28 due to the said conflict, which has also affected the United Arab Emirates.

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