NNIC warns of flight disruption amid Middle East airspace restriction

THE New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC), operator of the country’s main gateway, said select international flights will be affected by ongoing airspace restrictions linked to the Middle East conflict.

“Flights on affected routes may be subject to delays, rerouting, rescheduling, or cancellation, with some congestion in parts of the airport also possible as a result,” NNIC said in an advisory on Monday.

The private operator said that passengers are advised to check with their airlines in advance for any flight adjustments.

Local carriers earlier announced some flight adjustments for both international and domestic flights due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines has extended the suspension of its Manila-Doha and Manila-Dubai flights until May 31, citing risks to overall airspace safety and critical infrastructure.

Last month, the airline also announced the suspension of several domestic routes, including Clark-Siargao starting May 4, Cebu-Ozamiz starting May 5, and Cebu-Calbayog starting May 6, until further notice.

Cebu Pacific has also announced that it is recalibrating its network, including reducing flight frequencies and canceling selected routes due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.

The airline suspended five routes — Davao-Bangkok, Iloilo-Bangkok, Iloilo-Singapore, Singapore-Iloilo, and Clark-Hanoi-Clark — until October 2026.

It also reduced weekly services for selected 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. — Ashley Erika O. Jose