A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake off the Mindanao coast has forced Cebu Pacific to pull five round-trip routes to and from General Santos City off its schedule for June 11, 2026, adding thousands more affected passengers to the growing list of travelers caught in the aftermath of one of the strongest seismic events to strike the southern Philippines in recent years.
The budget carrier released Advisory No. 3 at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, formally confirming the new round of cancellations and directing affected passengers to its self-service online portal for rebooking and refund options, according to the airline’s official announcement.
Which Flights Have Been Taken Off the Schedule
Cebu Pacific confirmed that the following flights originally scheduled for June 11, 2026, have been cancelled as a result of the earthquake’s continued disruption to aviation operations in Mindanao:
- 5J 251/252: Cebu – General Santos – Cebu
- 5J 991/992: Manila – General Santos – Manila
- 5J 993/994: Manila – General Santos – Manila
- 5J 995/996: Manila – General Santos – Manila
- 5J 997/998: Manila – General Santos – Manila
The list covers one round-trip route connecting Cebu to General Santos and four separate round-trip routes linking Manila to General Santos City, which is served by Francisco B. Reyes Airport — a key aviation hub for the southern Mindanao region. Cebu Pacific stated in its advisory that all affected passengers have been individually notified by email.
Earthquake Triggers Cascading Aviation Disruptions
The root cause of the cancellations is the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off the Mindanao coastline, a seismic event powerful enough to be classified as a major earthquake and capable of causing significant structural damage, triggering tsunami warnings, and forcing precautionary shutdowns at airports and air traffic control facilities across the affected region.
Cebu Pacific described the operational situation as “developing” in its advisory, a characterization that signals the airline’s assessment of airport conditions and ground infrastructure in Mindanao is still ongoing. The airline warned that additional flight changes beyond those listed in Advisory No. 3 remain possible as the situation continues to unfold.
The release of a third advisory within a short span underscores how severely the earthquake has disrupted normal flight operations. According to Cebu Pacific, earlier advisories had already flagged previous waves of cancellations and schedule adjustments, with Advisory No. 3 representing the most expansive single round of grounded flights publicly disclosed by the carrier as of June 10, 2026.
Three Options for Passengers With Cancelled Bookings
Cebu Pacific outlined three remediation options for passengers holding cancelled tickets, all of which can be accessed through the airline’s Manage Booking portal at cebupacificair.com/manage-booking. The airline said the following choices are available:
Free Rebooking: Passengers may change their travel date at no additional cost, provided the new flight falls within 30 days of the original booking date. Rescheduling beyond that 30-day window will incur applicable fare differences.
Travel Fund Conversion: The value of the cancelled ticket may be transferred into a CEB virtual wallet, which passengers can apply toward future flights or ancillary purchases such as extra baggage or seat upgrades.
Full Refund: Passengers who prefer not to rebook or convert their tickets to travel credit are entitled to receive a complete refund of the fare paid.
Cebu Pacific urged all affected travelers to log into the Manage Booking system and ensure their contact information is current so that subsequent email notifications reach them without delay, the airline said in its advisory.
Real-Time Flight Monitoring Strongly Advised
Given that further schedule changes are possible, Cebu Pacific has strongly encouraged all passengers — including those who have not yet received direct notification — to track the status of their flights in real time through the airline’s dedicated flight status page at cebupacificair.com/flight-status.
The advisory specifically acknowledged that “some flight changes may continue to take place” as airport authorities and the airline work through safety assessments of affected terminals and surrounding infrastructure across Mindanao. Cebu Pacific said it will continue issuing updates as new information becomes available from the ground.
The airline noted that restoring normal operations requires confirmation across multiple layers of readiness — including structural safety checks at airports, the availability of air traffic control services, and the operational capacity of ground handling teams at affected stations.
Support Channels Open for Travelers Needing Assistance
Passengers who require guidance beyond what is available through the self-service portal can reach Cebu Pacific through several support channels, according to the airline’s advisory. These include the carrier’s online chat support accessible via the official Cebu Pacific website, its official Facebook page, and its official account on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Cebu Pacific has not provided a definitive timeline for when full flight operations to and from General Santos City will be restored. The airline stated only that it is “working towards normalizing operations as soon as possible” and appealed to passengers for “patience and understanding” during what it acknowledged is a difficult and fluid situation.
Advisory No. 3 Part of Expanding Response Effort
The sequential numbering of the airline’s advisories — with a third bulletin issued within the span of roughly 24 hours — reflects the scale and complexity of the disruption triggered by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake. Coordinating the safe resumption of commercial flights in an earthquake-affected zone requires confirmation from multiple agencies and cannot be rushed without risking passenger and crew safety, the airline implied in its statement.
Cebu Pacific said it remains committed to keeping the public informed as conditions in Mindanao develop, and reiterated its call for patience from the thousands of passengers whose travel plans have been disrupted by the disaster. The airline said further advisories will be issued as warranted by developments at affected airports across its network.
Source: Originally reported by Breaking News Negros Oriental (breakingnewsnegrosoriental.com)
