Cebu Pacific

Is Cebu Pacific safe?

Yes, with one recurring problem. Cebu Pacific has not had a fatal accident since February 1998, and its fleet is young: in September 2026, 77% of its jets were new-generation Airbus neos. What keeps its score down is how often its aircraft leave the runway at provincial airports. Nobody has been badly hurt in these events, but they keep happening, at the same airports, in the same kind of weather. We score Cebu Pacific 76.

Which airline is flying you?

Airline	Code	Certificate	What it flies
Cebu Pacific Air	5J	CAAP, Philippines	A320/A321 ceo and neo, A330/A330neo
Cebgo	DG	CAAP, Philippines	ATR 72 turboprops

Cebgo began as SEAir and was later Tigerair Philippines before Cebu Pacific bought it. Since mid-2026 it has also flown the former AirSWIFT routes to El Nido. Cebgo flights are often sold with 5J numbers, so check "operated by". This page covers both.

The 1998 crash, and since

On 2 February 1998, Cebu Pacific flight 387, a DC-9, left Manila for Cagayan de Oro with a stop in Tacloban to drop off spare tyres for another DC-9 stuck there. About an hour later it flew into Mount Sumagaya in Misamis Oriental, roughly two miles off course, killing all 104 people on board. It is the airline's only fatal accident.

Since then, only one aircraft has been lost. On 18 July 2010, an ATR 72-500 approaching Manila from Tuguegarao met a sudden tailwind and then a wall of rain; it bounced three times before the crew went around, damaging the landing gear and instruments. They landed on another runway and everyone walked off, but the aircraft was written offHull lossAn accident in which an aircraft is destroyed or damaged beyond economic repair. People may or may not be hurt.More in the glossary.

The problem: runway excursions

Cebu Pacific's record in the Aviation Safety Network database and in AeroInside's incident reports has a clear pattern. Aircraft leave the paved surface on landing or while turning on the runway, usually at provincial airports and often in heavy rain:

• Davao, 2 June 2013. An A320 touched down near the right edge, ran onto the grass and rolled for hundreds of metres before stopping.
• Iloilo, 13 October 2017. Flight 5J461, an A320 from Manila, ran off the left side of the runway in rain and strong wind; the nose gear collapsed and passengers left by slide.
• Manila, 8 March 2022. A Cebgo ATR 72 from Naga bounced and veered off the runway onto the grass. Investigators rated it a serious incident.
• Iloilo, 20 May 2025. Flight 5J461 again, an A320, veered left off the runway on touchdown; the crew went around and landed 25 minutes later. The aircraft had minor damage.
• Butuan, 9 August 2026. An A321neo turning on the runway to line up for departure put its nose gear off the pavement and was stuck for more than 14 hours.

There are also runway excursionsRunway excursionWhen an aircraft leaves the runway surface during take-off or landing, either off the end (an overrun) or off the side (a veer-off).More in the glossary while backtracking at Butuan (2014), Manila (2015) and Cebu (2017, an A330), and an ATR that briefly left the runway on landing at Butuan in June 2024. A single excursion can happen to any airline. About ten since 2013 is a pattern, and it is the reason serious incidents score 60. Many provincial runways in the Philippines are short and drain poorly in heavy rain, so the airports share the blame; but the airline chooses to send A320s and A321s there.

What does Cebu Pacific fly?

In September 2026, the group had 99 aircraft: 38 A320s, 27 A321s, 14 A330s and 20 ATR turboprops, according to AeroTime. In October 2024 Cebu Pacific signed for up to 152 A321neos, so the remaining ceo jets will go over the next decade. The fleet scores 88.

Is the regulator good enough?

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) was downgraded by the FAA to Category 2FAA IASAThe US FAA's check of whether a country's aviation regulator meets ICAO standards. Category 1 means it does; Category 2 means it does not.More in the glossary in January 2008, and in 2010 the EU banned every Philippine airline. The FAA restored Category 1 on 9 April 2014, and the EU lifted Cebu Pacific's ban on 10 April 2014, nine months after Philippine Airlines. The FAA's April 2025 list still shows Category 1, and the EU's June 2026 list names no Philippine airline.

Cebu Pacific is an IATA member, which means an IOSAIOSAThe IATA Operational Safety Audit, an international audit of an airline's safety management and operations. Every IATA member must pass it.More in the glossary audit every two years. Cebgo is not a member, and we could not confirm that it holds IOSA registration. Oversight scores 74.

How to fly Cebu Pacific safely

• Watch the weather on provincial routes. Most excursions came in rain. If your flight into Iloilo, Butuan or Caticlan is delayed or diverted for weather, that is the right call.
• Listen at the briefing for the slides. In the 2017 Iloilo excursion, passengers left by one slide only; know which exits are behind you.
• Leave bags behind in an evacuation. Low-cost passengers carry more on board.

How we scored it

The fleet (88) is the strongest factor and serious incidents (60) the weakest. The accident record (82) reflects one fatal crash 28 years ago and one write-offHull lossAn accident in which an aircraft is destroyed or damaged beyond economic repair. People may or may not be hurt.More in the glossary since. Compare Philippine Airlines, from the same Manila hub, at 77, and the AirAsia group, whose Philippine airline answers to the same regulator, at 68.