Philippine Airlines (PR, Manila Ninoy Aquino International) will discontinue all turboprop operations at Manila Ninoy Aquino International effective March 29, 2026, when the new slot regulations restricting the airport to jet aircraft enter into force. The flag carrier will shift regional connectivity to alternative hubs at Angeles City Clark International, Cebu, and Iloilo airports.

The airline said the decision aligns with the timelines set by the Manila Slot Coordination Committee (MSCC) Resolution 2025-02, issued on July 29, 2025. The mandate requires the relocation of propeller aircraft from the country's main gateway to maximise runway capacity and slots for larger jet aircraft.

Consequently, the flag carrier's services from Manila to Busuanga and Del Carmen (Siargao) will transfer to Clark. The Manila-Catarman route will be replaced by a service from Cebu.

However, the Manila-Antique route will be discontinued. According to ch-aviation schedules data, Philippine Airlines is the sole operator serving Antique, flying 3x weekly. It will now serve the city via Iloilo, an airport some 60 kilometres away but located on the same Panay island.

Using the slots vacated by the turboprop relocation, the carrier will increase domestic jet frequencies from Manila starting in March. Weekly services to Cebu will rise to 76x, Iloilo to 42x, Tacloban to 28x, Dumaguete to 21x, and Roxas City to 14x.

The turboprop flights are operated by subsidiary PAL Express, which deploys a fleet of eleven DHC-8-Q400s. Rival Cebu Pacific Air previously announced it would transfer its ATR - Avions de Transport Régional operations, including those of subsidiaries Cebgo and AirSWIFT, to Clark by the March 29 deadline.

Samoa Airways (OL, Apia Faleolo) will not acquire new aircraft in 2026, as previously planned. The government now estimates the airline will need a one-to-two-year preparation period before jet operations can resume, according to finance minister Mulipola Anarosa Molio’o.

Mulipola told a press conference last week that restarting international jet services requires extensive preparation, including ground handling equipment, aircraft servicing, crew training, and airport capacity upgrades. She noted that reintroducing aircraft without full readiness would be "unwise."

The minister estimated the annual operating cost for the proposed international operations at WST30 million tala (USD11 million), excluding aircraft acquisition costs. A decision on whether to purchase or lease the aircraft has not yet been finalised, she added.

A cabinet-approved task force is set to meet to align the investment plan with the Unit Trust of Samoa (UTOS), the country's sovereign wealth fund funded predominantly by domestic investors. The government hopes to attract capital from the Samoan diaspora, with a minimum investment threshold of WST500 (USD184).

In November 2025, Prime Minister La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt targeted a late 2026 delivery for two jets to serve routes to New Zealand, Australia, and the United States.

According to ch-aviation data, Samoa Airways currently operates three DHC-6-300s that are being retrofitted. It operated B737-300s and B737-800s from 1992 until 2006. The carrier was meant to receive a B737-9 in 2019, but the aircraft was not delivered due to the worldwide B737 MAX grounding. Instead, Samoa Airways dry-leased a B737-800 in 2021, but retired it only seven months later.

Caribbean Airlines (BW, Port of Spain) has announced the sale of up to two ATR72-600s located on its compound at Port of Spain Piarco International.

The two aircraft are 9Y-TTB (msn 973) and 9Y-TTC (msn 989). Caribbean Airlines plans to dispose of them on March 1 and October 1, 2026, respectively, it said in a notice to the markets. The turboprops will be sold on a 'where is as is' basis.

Interested parties can request the bidding document and aircraft specifications via email, and bids should be submitted in English on or before February 6, 2026, at 1400L (1800Z).

The aircraft are 14.2 and 14 years old, respectively. Since delivery in 2011 and 2012, they have flown only for Caribbean Airlines and have all-economy capacity for 68 passengers, ch-aviation fleets data shows.

Caribbean Airlines’ fleet comprises ten ATR72-600s, nine B737-8s, and one B737-800, plus one B767-300ER(BCF) wet-leased in from Atlas Air.

The airline was not immediately available for comment on the reasons behind the sale of the two turboprops. Caribbean Airlines has been under financial pressure for about a year. A few days ago, local media reported that the company was being evicted from its office in Jamaica due to unpaid rent, but management denied the reports and said the move was a planned relocation.