Flights affected as Mactan-Cebu airport runway closed for repairs

The runway of Mactan-Cebu International Airport has been closed for repairs on Saturday, affecting flights to and from the country’s second busiest gateway.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said the closure, scheduled from 3:10 p.m. to 9 p.m., was made to allow urgent repairs to the damaged pavement of Runway 04R/22L.

''As of 5 p.m., the secondary runway is already ready for operations while immediate repairs are being done in the primary runway of the airport,'' the Department of Transportation said in separate statement.

''Advisories and notices were sent out to the airlines regarding the ongoing situation. Repairs to the primary runway will be completed by 7:30 tonight,'' it added.

Due to the runway closure, budget carrier Cebu Pacific has strongly advised its passengers with flights to and from Cebu to not proceed to the airport until their flights have been confirmed.

''Our immediate priority is to ensure the safety of our passengers and crew,'' Cebu Pacific said.

It also canceled the following flights:

Saturday, July 12

• DG 6066/6067: Cebu – Busuanga – Cebu
• DG 6208/6209: Cebu – Legazpi – Cebu
• DG 6210/6211: Cebu – Legazpi – Cebu
• DG 6286/6287: Cebu – Caticlan – Cebu
• DG 6579/6580: Cebu – Tacloban – Cebu
• DG 6607/6608: Cebu – Dipolog – Cebu
• DG 6853/6854: Cebu – Siargao – Cebu
• DG 6859/6860: Cebu – Siargao – Cebu
• DG 6930: Butuan – Cebu
• 5J 133: Caticlan – Cebu
• 5J 227/228: Cebu – Puerto Princesa – Cebu
• 5J 229/230: Cebu – Puerto Princesa – Cebu
• 5J 552: Cebu – Manila
• 5J 581/582: Manila – Cebu – Manila
• 5J 586: Cebu – Manila
• 5J 595/596: Cebu – Davao – Cebu
• 5J 603/604: Cebu – Davao – Cebu
• 5J 4448: Zamboanga – Cebu

According to Cebu Pacific, affected passengers can choose between a full refund, free rebooking, or storing the ticket amount in a virtual CEB wallet to pay for add-ons or book a different flight.

Philippine Airlines said the following flights had been canceled:

Saturday, July 12

• PR 2287 Cebu-Bacolod
• PR 2365/2366 Cebu-Davao-Cebu
• PR 2238/2239 Cebu-Tacloban-Cebu
• PR 2388/2389 Cebu-Iloilo-Cebu
• PR 2995/2996 Cebu-Zamboanga-Cebu
• PR 2313/2314 Cebu-Cagayan de Oro-Cebu
• PR 2315/2316 Cebu-Cagayan de Oro-Cebu
• PR 2382/2383 Cebu-Siargao-Cebu
• PR 2335/2336 Cebu-Butuan-Cebu
• PR 2375 Siargao-Cebu
• PR 2850 Cebu-Manila
• PR 2681 Busuanga (Coron)-Cebu
• PR 2867/2868 Manila-Cebu-Manila
• PR 2861/2862 Manila-Cebu-Manila
• PR 2854 Cebu-Manila
• PR 2863/2864 Manila-Cebu-Manila
• PR 2880 Cebu-Manila
• PR 2853 Manila-Cebu
• PR 2358 General Santos-Cebu

For passengers of canceled flights, PAL said their options include:

• Reroute to another flight with available space within 60 days from the original flight in the same booking class or higher within the same cabin class.
• Convert the ticket to travel credits equivalent to the unused base fare of the ticket. Voucher validity is one year from the date of issuance.
• Refund ticket without penalties, excluding ticketing service charge.

—VBL, GMA Integrated News