Airlines

Sunlight Air inaugurates Cebu hub

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Twin ATR 72-500 planes of Sunlight Air at Mactan-Cebu International Airport. (Photo from MCIAA)

Boutique airline Sunlight Air today inaugurated its new hub at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), expanding the carrier’s domestic route network with the launch of direct flights connecting Cebu to several key destinations across the country.

At a ceremony attended by officials from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), the Lapu-Lapu City government, and the Department of Tourism, Sunlight Air’s Chief Executive Officer, Ryna Brito-Garcia, expressed excitement about the airline’s Cebu expansion.

“With the coming of a new player, we could offer the passengers of Cebu competitive prices so that travel could be more accessible,” Brito-Garcia said, according to SunStar Cebu.

Sunlight Air, which recently relocated its main hub from Manila to Clark International Airport, has been operating as a local boutique airline for five years, positioning itself between full-service and low-cost carriers.

The airline’s inaugural flight from Cebu was to the island paradise of Siargao. Sunlight Air now offers daily direct flights from Cebu to Siargao, Manila, and Busuanga (Coron), with plans to further expand its Cebu network in the coming weeks.

According to a February 2024 announcement from the airline, the new routes from Cebu will operate as follows:

  • Manila: Daily flights starting April 1
  • Coron: Daily flights starting April 1
  • Siargao: Daily flights starting April 1
  • Boracay: Flights on Tuesdays to Saturdays starting April 30
  • Iloilo: Flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays starting July 1
  • Cagayan de Oro: Flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays starting July 2

Sunlight Air’s expansion into Cebu is expected to provide travelers with more options and competitive pricing for domestic travel, further enhancing the region’s connectivity within the Philippine archipelago.

The airline currently operates a fleet of three ATR 72-500 aircraft.

Written by
Dirk Andrei Salcedo

Dirk is the founder and editor-in-chief of Aviation Updates Philippines (AUP), a platform dedicated to providing the latest news and insights on the aviation industry in the Philippines. With a strong passion for aviation and a background in computer engineering, he manages all aspects of AUP, from website development to content curation.

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