Flights to Cebu

Flights to Cebu land at Mactan-Cebu International Airport (CEB) on Mactan Island, the second-largest airport in the Philippines after Manila. As of November 2026, airlines fly nonstop into Cebu from Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Busan, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Shanghai and Brisbane. No airline flies nonstop from the mainland US, Canada or Europe.

From North America the two workable routes are a nonstop to Manila followed by a domestic flight of 1h 20m to 1h 35m, or a connection through Tokyo Narita and a nonstop on to Cebu. Once you are in Cebu, nonstop flights reach Siargao, Boracay’s Caticlan airport, Coron, El Nido, Puerto Princesa, Dumaguete and Siquijor, so a trip through the central islands and Palawan does not need a night in Manila. The Philippines travel guide covers entry rules and the islands beyond Cebu.

Nonstop Flights to Cebu From Asia and Brisbane

Flight times are the range that the route sources list for each nonstop, as of November 2026. Some Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese services run on seasonal schedules.

Cebu Pacific and VietJet Air also fly to Ho Chi Minh City. Jeju Air flies from Seoul, Busan and Daegu, and Jin Air flies from Seoul and Busan. Philippine Airlines flies Guam to Cebu on a seasonal schedule.

Airlines Flying to Cebu

Cebu is a base for Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines, so the domestic network is as wide as the international one. Baggage allowances for Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and the other carriers on this page are in the Philippines flights guide.

Full-service carriers:

• Philippine Airlines. Manila is the main hub and Cebu is a secondary hub. Nonstop from Cebu to Tokyo Narita and Osaka Kansai, plus a domestic network that includes Manila, Davao, Caticlan, Puerto Princesa, Busuanga and Siargao. See the carrier profile and route map.
• Cathay Pacific. Oneworld, nonstop to Hong Kong.
• Singapore Airlines. Star Alliance, nonstop to Singapore Changi.
• Korean Air. SkyTeam, nonstop to Seoul Incheon.
• EVA Air. Star Alliance, nonstop to Taipei Taoyuan.
• China Airlines. SkyTeam, nonstop to Taipei Taoyuan.
• Starlux Airlines. Nonstop to Taipei Taoyuan.
• United Airlines. Star Alliance. Nonstop from Tokyo Narita.
• Vietnam Airlines. Nonstop to Hanoi.
• China Eastern. Nonstop to Shanghai Pudong.

Budget carriers:

• Cebu Pacific. Cebu is one of its operating bases. International nonstops to Hong Kong, Tokyo Narita, Osaka Kansai, Seoul Incheon and Bangkok Don Mueang, plus the widest domestic network out of Cebu. The base fare is carry-on only.
• Cebgo. Cebu Pacific’s turboprop sister airline, flying the short domestic routes to Siargao, Busuanga, El Nido, Dumaguete and Camiguin.
• Philippines AirAsia. Flies Cebu to Manila.
• AirAsia. Flies Cebu to Kuala Lumpur.
• Firefly. Flies Cebu to Kuala Lumpur.
• Scoot. Flies Cebu to Singapore.
• Jetstar. Flies Cebu to Brisbane.
• Jeju Air. Flies Seoul, Busan and Daegu to Cebu.
• Jin Air. Flies Seoul and Busan to Cebu.
• Air Busan. Flies Busan to Cebu.
• VietJet Air. Flies Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Cebu.
• Sunlight Air. Regional turboprops from Cebu to Busuanga, Siargao and Siquijor.

Flying to Cebu From the US, Canada, Europe and Australia

US and Canada. Philippine Airlines flies nonstop to Manila from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York and Honolulu. Book Manila to Cebu on the same ticket, because Manila’s three terminals are not connected airside and a separate booking means collecting your bags and checking in again. The alternative is Tokyo Narita, where Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and United all fly nonstop to Cebu. From Seoul, Taipei and Hong Kong a nonstop also runs straight to Cebu, on Korean Air, EVA Air, China Airlines, Starlux and Cathay Pacific. Cebu is on UTC+8 all year with no daylight saving, and the time-difference guide lists the gap from US time zones to Manila, which runs on the same clock.

Europe and the Middle East. No airline flies nonstop from Europe. The one-stop routings that end in Cebu without touching Manila run through Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific, Singapore on Singapore Airlines or Scoot, Seoul on Korean Air, Taipei on EVA Air, China Airlines or Starlux, and Tokyo on Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific or United. Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad serve Manila, so a Gulf routing adds the domestic flight to Cebu.

Australia. Jetstar flies Brisbane to Cebu nonstop. From Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, Philippine Airlines flies nonstop to Manila, and Singapore Airlines and Scoot connect through Singapore.

Manila or Cebu: Which Airport to Fly Into

Fly into Cebu when your first stops are in the Visayas, Siargao, Boracay or Palawan. Cebu has nonstop flights to all of them, and the airport has two terminals joined by a covered walkway, where Manila’s terminals sit apart on city roads. Fly into Manila when you are arriving from the US nonstop, heading to northern Luzon, or want the widest choice of international airlines.

Pick one of the two as your hub for the whole trip. A route that uses Manila for one leg and Cebu for another costs a day of backtracking, and the one-hub routing rule shows how that plays out in a 7, 10 and 14-day trip. The Cebu to Busuanga flight is the main link from the Visayas to Coron that skips Manila.

Onward Flights From Cebu

These nonstops leave Cebu for the islands most visitors add to the trip, as of November 2026.

Cebgo flies Cebu to El Nido, with the route open since 26 October 2025, and the El Nido guide has the Palawan side of that trip. Puerto Princesa is served by Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines, Siquijor by Sunlight Air and Camiguin by Cebgo. Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines also fly to Iloilo, Zamboanga and General Santos, Philippine Airlines flies to Bacolod and Tacloban, and Cebu Pacific flies to Clark. Bohol is a fast-ferry crossing from Cebu City, covered in the Bohol day trip from Cebu.

When Flights to Cebu Are Cheapest

• Most expensive, mid-December to Sinulog. The Christmas peak runs into January, and Sinulog in Cebu City falls on the third Sunday of January (17 January 2027). Seats and Cebu City rooms both sell out around it.
• Holy Week. Holy Week runs from 21 to 27 March in 2027. Domestic and regional demand surges as Filipinos travel to their home provinces.
• Cheapest, February to early May. International flights cost the least between the Sinulog weekend and the start of the rains, and February to April is Cebu’s driest stretch. Avoid the Holy Week dates inside that window.
• Second cheapest, September to early November. Rooms and tours cost the least in this part of the rainy season. The month-by-month rainfall and festival calendar shows what the weather does in Cebu.
• Book the Coron leg with the international ticket. The Cebu to Busuanga flight uses small aircraft with few daily departures, and it sells out weeks ahead.

Mactan-Cebu Airport: Terminals and Connections

Mactan-Cebu has two passenger terminals on one site. Terminal 1 handles domestic flights and Terminal 2 handles international flights. A covered walkway joins them, and the walk takes 5 to 10 minutes. The booking confirmation and boarding pass name the terminal.

The terminals have no airside link. An international arrival connecting to a domestic flight clears immigration, collects bags, walks to Terminal 1 and checks in again. Plan at least 3 hours between an international arrival and a domestic departure on separate tickets. On one itinerary with bags tagged through, the airport’s Cebu Connect service supports the transfer.

That is simpler than Manila, where the terminals sit apart and the transfer runs on city roads by shuttle or Grab, and it makes Cebu the easier airport for an overnight stopover before a morning domestic flight.

Arriving at Cebu: Getting Out of the Airport

Cebu City is 30 minutes to over an hour from the airport by road. Mactan Island’s beach resorts are nearer than the city.

• Grab. The pickup is a designated bay outside arrivals. A ride to central Cebu City, such as the Ayala area, costs PHP 350 to 600 (~USD 6 to 10.50) as of November 2026.
• Taxi. Metered white taxis and the yellow airport taxis both serve the airport. A fare to Cebu City runs PHP 250 to 500 (~USD 4.40 to 8.80).
• MyBus airport route. The bus runs to SM City Cebu for PHP 30 to 50 (~USD 0.50 to 0.90), a low-cost option with light luggage.
• Private or hotel transfer. A pre-booked car runs PHP 1,120 to 1,500 (~USD 20 to 26) per vehicle, and some Mactan resorts include the transfer.

Globe and Smart run SIM counters at Mactan-Cebu, and which SIM to buy and how to register it is covered separately.

For the rest of the island, the buses to Moalboal, Oslob and Badian (Kawasan Falls) leave from Cebu City’s South Bus Terminal, and the buses to Maya (the boat to Malapascua) and Hagnaya (the boat to Bantayan) leave from the North Bus Terminal. Take a taxi or Grab from the airport to the right terminal. Fees, distances and routes for each stop are in the things to do in Cebu by base.

Leaving Cebu: Getting Back to the Airport

International flights depart from Terminal 2 and domestic flights from Terminal 1, so check the terminal before the ride. The road between Cebu City and Mactan takes 30 minutes to over an hour and is slowest in the morning and evening rush. The terminal fee on international departures is included in international tickets.