On Tuesday evening (Aug. 26, 2025), the primary runway at Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) was briefly closed for maintenance and inspections, forcing many flights to be delayed, diverted, or canceled. Airport officials immediately activated the secondary runway (04L/22R) to accommodate incoming traffic. As the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) began repairs on Runway 22L/04R, airline advisories were issued and passenger safety was prioritized. By around 5:00 PM local time the alternate runway was already ready for use, and authorities aimed to complete repairs on the main runway by about 7:30 PM. Cebu Pacific even urged travelers not to proceed to the airport until flight status was confirmed – emphasizing that “our immediate priority is to ensure the safety of our passengers and crew”.
Flight Disruptions and Diversions
According to airport advisories, dozens of flights were affected by the closure. Internationally, three flights were delayed (Cathay Pacific CX 925 from Hong Kong, Philippine Airlines PR 433 from Tokyo Narita, and CX 926 from Cebu to Hong Kong), and one inbound Emirates flight (EK 338 from Dubai) was canceled. Domestically, flights from multiple destinations were delayed. Examples include PR 2375 (Siargao–Cebu), DG 6860 (Iloilo–Cebu), 5J 581 (Manila–Cebu), DG 6067 (Siargao–Cebu), PR 2996 (Zamboanga–Cebu), PR 1358 (General Santos–Cebu), 5J 571 (Manila–Cebu), PR 2383 (Siargao–Cebu), PR 2348 (Puerto Princesa–Cebu), DG 6283 (Camiguin–Cebu), PR 2681 (Coron–Cebu), PR 2861 (Manila–Cebu), DG 6210 (Cebu–Dumaguete), DG 6721 (Cebu–Cagayan de Oro), DG 6827 (Cebu–Davao), DG 6208 (Cebu–Dumaguete), PR 2315 (Cebu–Cagayan de Oro), 5J 4527 (Cebu–Cagayan de Oro), PR 2238 (Cebu–Tacloban), DG 6923 (Cebu–Boracay), PR 2335 (Cebu–Boracay), 5J 582 (Cebu–Manila), PR 2365 (Cebu–Davao), PR 2862 (Cebu–Manila), and 5J 572 (Cebu–Manila). In total eleven flights were diverted to alternate airports: for example, DG 6860 (Iloilo–Cebu), 5J 581 (Manila–Cebu) and DG 6067 (Siargao–Cebu) diverted to Iloilo; 5J 571 (Manila–Cebu) to Butuan; PR 2375 (Siargao–Cebu) to Bacolod; PR 2996 (Zamboanga–Cebu) and PR 1358 (General Santos–Cebu) to Tagbilaran; PR 2383 (Siargao–Cebu) and PR 2681 (Coron–Cebu) to Cagayan de Oro; PR 2348 (Puerto Princesa–Cebu) to Bacolod; and PR 2861 (Manila–Cebu) rerouted back to Manila. Several domestic flights were outright canceled as well – notably Cebu Pacific flights DG 6211/6210 (Dumaguete–Cebu) and DG 6828/6827 (Davao–Cebu).
International flights: Delayed – CX 925 (HKG–CEB), PR 433 (NRT–CEB), CX 926 (CEB–HKG); Canceled – EK 338 (DXB–CEB).
Domestic flights (delays): Affected flights included PR 2375 (IAO–CEB), DG 6860 (IAO–CEB), 5J 581 (MNL–CEB), DG 6067 (USU–CEB), PR 2996 (ZAM–CEB), PR 1358 (GES–CEB), 5J 571 (MNL–CEB), PR 2383 (IAO–CEB), PR 2348 (PPS–CEB), DG 6283 (MPH–CEB), PR 2681 (USU–CEB), PR 2861 (MNL–CEB), DG 6210 (CEB–DRP), DG 6721 (CEB–CGY), DG 6827 (CEB–DVO), DG 6208 (CEB–DRP), PR 2315 (CEB–CGY), 5J 4527 (CEB–CGY), PR 2238 (CEB–TAC), DG 6923 (CEB–BXU), PR 2335 (CEB–BXU), 5J 582 (CEB–MNL), PR 2365 (CEB–DVO), PR 2862 (CEB–MNL), 5J 572 (CEB–MNL).
Domestic flights (diverted): Eleven flights were redirected to nearby airports – e.g. several Iloilo-bound flights (DG 6860, 5J 581, DG 6067) rerouted to Iloilo; 5J 571 to Butuan; PR 2375 and PR 2348 to Bacolod; PR 2996 and PR 1358 to Tagbilaran; PR 2383 and PR 2681 to Cagayan de Oro; and PR 2861 to Manila.
Domestic flights (canceled): Cebu Pacific flights DG 6211 (Dumaguete–Cebu), DG 6828 (Davao–Cebu), DG 6210 (Cebu–Dumaguete) and DG 6827 (Cebu–Davao) were canceled outright.
Airlines and Authorities Respond
Airlines quickly offered alternatives for affected passengers. Cebu Pacific announced that travelers on canceled flights could request full refunds, free rebooking, or credit towards a future flight. Philippine Airlines likewise said passengers may reroute on available flights (in the same or higher class), convert unused fares to travel credits, or get refunds without penalty. Transportation officials reiterated that passenger rights must be observed – the Civil Aeronautics Board directed carriers to assist affected travelers in accordance with the Passenger Bill of Rights. Both the airport authority and its private operator (ACAC, under the Aboitiz group) apologized for the inconvenience and said they were working closely with airlines to clear the disruption.
Airline and airport advisories stressed safety and contingency plans. Cebu Pacific had warned passengers not to come to the airport until flight status was confirmed and reminded that safety was the top priority. CAAP officials pointed out that runway integrity is paramount – as CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio noted in July, “a runway with potholes is extremely dangerous for aircraft; safety cannot be compromised”. In the wake of this event, the MCIA terminals staff is advising passengers to check directly with their airlines for updates on schedules. For now, all operations continue via the secondary runway while the main runway undergoes final checks.
Context – Previous Runway Incident
This disruption comes about six weeks after a similar runway issue at MCIA. On July 12, CAAP had identified loose asphalt on Runway 04R/22L and immediately shut it down for emergency repairs. That time, repairs were completed the same night (by about 7:30 PM) and the runway was reopened within hours. During the July outage, MCIA likewise put the alternate runway into service for limited use. Transportation officials have since announced a formal probe into runway maintenance and materials, to prevent future outages. The recent episode highlights the critical importance of having a secondary runway and rigorous inspection protocols at the country’s second-busiest airport.
Ilonggo Traveler 
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