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Tacloban Airport Opens for Jet Operations

Aviation Updates Philippines - The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines recently opened the Daniel Z. Romuladez Airport in Tacloban for jet operations after it finished four-month runway rehabilitation due to potholes on the runway.

Tacloban Airport with jets
(PHOTO) Renz Bulseco - The Traveling Nomad

In an advisory issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines as of 4 PM on Monday, the airport is now capable for narrow-body aircraft such as the Airbus A320-200 and the Boeing 737-800. CAAP said carriers that operate narrow-body aircraft include Tigerair Philippines, AirAsia Zest, Cebu Pacific Air, and Philippine Airlines.

 “As of 4 p.m. Monday, 22 December 2014, the Tacloban airport runway reverts back to AIP Philippines (Aeronautical Information Publication), lifting the Notam and opening the 2138 x 45 meter runway to single-aisle jet aircraft like A320 or B737 to operate at the airport,” Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Director General, William K Hotchkiss III said.

During its closure, CAAP coordinated with the management of AirAsia Zest, Cebu Pacific Air, Philippine Airlines, and Tigerair Philippines, who all agreed to temporarily stop flying at the Tacloban airport using narrow-body aircraft.

The agency also said that PAL Express Flight 2P 1987, an Airbus A320-200 from Manila, arrived in Tacloban with 153 passengers and an infant. The recent closure of the airport to jet aircraft forced AirAsia Zest, Tigerair Philippines, and Philippine Airlines to cancel their flights. Both Cebu Pacific and PAL Express operated their propeller aircraft via Manila or Cebu.

According to an advisory released by Cebu Pacific, the airline will reinstate their flights between Manila and Tacloban using its Airbus A320-200 aircraft.

In light of the advisory issued, Cebu Pacific is reinstating the following flights from December 24 – 25, 2014:​

5J 651 / 652                Manila – Tacloban – Manila

5J 653 / 654                Manila – Tacloban – Manila

5J 657 / 658                Manila – Tacloban – Manila. 


The airline said that passengers originally booked on these flights and who have already moved their flights may choose to retain their current bookings or opt to rebook back on these reinstated flights without charges.

Affected passengers may call +(632)7020888 or +(6332)2308888 to specify their preferred option, or visit Cebu Pacific's organic ticket offices listed below:

  • NAIA Terminal 3 Sales Office – Level 3, Departure Hall, NAIA Terminal 3, Andrews Ave., Pasay City
  • NAIA Terminal 4 Express Ticket Office – Old Domestic Road, Pasay City
  • Robinsons Galleria – West Lane, Level 1, Ortigas Ave. cor. ADB Ave. Quezon City
  • Robinsons Place Imus – Level 4, Aguinaldo Highway Imus, Cavite
  • Robinsons Place Manila – Level 1 Adriatico Wing, Pedro Gil cor. Adriatico St. Ermita Manila
  • Cebu Airport Ticket Office – Mactan International Airport, Lapu-Lapu, Cebu City
  • Robinsons Fuente – Fuente Osmeña, Cebu City


Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Tacloban on January 17. The runway rehabilitation finished just in time before the Pontiff's visit. Pope Francis will have a lunch with the Super typhoon Yolanda's victims at the Archbishop's Residence in Palo, Leyte (See the Pope's Philippine Itinerary here). Pope Francis is scheduled to arrive from Sri Lanka on board SriLankan Airlines Airbus A330 at around 5:30 p.m in NAIA. He will fly using an Airbus A321-200 aircraft of Philippine Airlines, its official carrier, to Tacloban City in the morning of January 17.

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