Royal Air Philippines
A Philippine low-cost airline based at Clark International Airport. Scheduled passenger services have been suspended since January 2026, while cargo operations continue.
About Royal Air Philippines
Royal Air Philippines is the trading name of Royal Air Charter Service, Inc., a privately owned Philippine carrier associated with Lanmei Group. Founded in 2002 as a charter operator, it expanded into scheduled passenger flying in December 2018 under the Royal Air Philippines brand. Hughes Airwest was an unrelated former United States airline and is not the Philippine carrier’s legal operator.
Clark International Airport in Pampanga served as the airline’s primary passenger hub. Before suspending scheduled passenger flights in January 2026, Royal Air connected Clark and Manila with domestic leisure markets such as Cebu, Caticlan, Puerto Princesa and Tagbilaran, alongside selected international services within East and Southeast Asia. Cargo operations continued after the passenger suspension.
Royal Air’s passenger operation used Airbus A319 and A320-family narrow-body aircraft configured primarily with a single economy cabin. Its low-cost model emphasized basic transportation, with optional services such as checked baggage, advance seat selection and refreshments depending on the fare or flight. The continuing cargo operation includes Airbus A321 passenger-to-freighter aircraft.
The airline is not a member of Star Alliance, SkyTeam or Oneworld. It does not have a widely established standalone frequent-flyer programme comparable with those of larger network carriers. Travellers therefore should not expect alliance-wide mileage earning, lounge access or reciprocal elite benefits when booking Royal Air services if scheduled passenger flights resume.
Royal Air’s Clark base offered a useful alternative to congested Manila for travellers in Central and Northern Luzon, particularly on leisure-focused routes. Its principal challenge is operational continuity: the suspension of scheduled passenger flying means old route maps, booking guides and airport information may no longer reflect available service. Travellers should confirm current operating status directly before making connecting arrangements.
Good to know
Flying with Royal Air Philippines — what to expect
Passenger Flights Suspended
Royal Air suspended scheduled passenger services in January 2026. Check the airline’s official channels before relying on older schedules or third-party route listings.
Clark Airport Base
Clark International Airport was the airline’s principal passenger hub and can be more convenient than Manila for travellers based in Central or Northern Luzon.
Low-Cost Fare Rules
Royal Air operated on a low-cost model, so checked baggage, seat selection and other extras could depend on the fare purchased. Review the inclusions displayed during booking.
Single Economy Cabin
Passenger aircraft were generally arranged in an all-economy configuration. Travellers should not expect a separate business-class or premium-economy cabin.
No Alliance Benefits
Royal Air is not part of a global airline alliance and has no widely established frequent-flyer programme. Do not assume that tickets will earn miles with another carrier.
Protect Connections
If passenger services resume, allow generous time for separate-ticket connections. Another airline may not provide rebooking assistance when an independently booked Royal Air flight changes.
Reviews of Royal Air Philippines
TripAdvisor · 2022–2023- 50
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What travellers flew
Counted from the 6 reviews below — a tally of the flights reviewed, with each chip carrying the average score those reviewers gave. Nothing here reads their prose or summarises what they said.
✓ marks a group averaging 7/10 or better, − one averaging 4/10 or worse, across at least three reviews.
Flight attendant Customer Service not good
Female Flight attendant prioritize foreigners regarding on the luggage to put on the overhead bin. So they end up removing our bags and put it under our sit , not even comfortable the whole flight. She didn’t find other overhead bin to put up our bags . Flight… See more RW 708 April 25,2023 Caticlan - Manila PNR: DSMZJG Boarding Time: 11:50 ETD: 12:20 Royal Air
See lessPosted April 2023 by Kim L
Cancel flight
After changing our flight time to more then 5 hours later, was informed we could pay another 12k we could catch a later flight or we could catch a flight a day earlier, when asked for a credit to use at another time was told excuse after excuse why we… See more couldn’t, so in the end we had to book with another airline,, total lack of customer service,, last time we will ever use this airline
See lessPosted April 2023 by jason l, Philippines
Ms
Never again! delayed flight! waste of time! such a terrible experience,my first and last flight at this airline 👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎
Posted March 2023 by Aa
Not great, but offers a convenient route
It's very convenient that this airline offers a direct flight between Taipei and Boracay (Caticlan) but the check-in process was terrible. It seemed as if a lot of people didn't have their documentation in order, or it took an unreasonably long time to verify… See more each person's documents. Either way, the efficiency of the ground staff at the check-in counter should be improved, and the airline should be proactive in making sure that passengers in line have their required documents before they get to the counter. I've been in much longer lines that have moved much quicker than this one did. As for the quality of the flight experience, the aircraft interior had quite a bit of wear and tear, the legroom was not great, and there was a logo of another airline on one of the monitors. Fortunately, the flight crew was friendly and professional. Overall, I'd probably deal with the sub-optimal check-in and airplane quality to avoid Manila on a flight to Caticlan. But that says more about how horrible transiting in Manila is than it says about this airline.
See lessPosted January 2023 by BnomadiC, Singapore
Insurance?Forget, it just way how to suck your money
I purchased my ticket ,together with insurance-saying. anything happened you are safe and covered,even for cancellation. I cancelled my flight and how was my surprise, the cancellation fee plus no show was the same like cost of the ticket,without… See more insurance.Plus,one of the worse ignorant customer service.I highly recommend you to choose among others local airlines.Never ever.
See lessPosted January 2023 by Eva H, England
good and not so good
the flight going to Caticlan was like, you are in a roller coaster. kaskasero si pilot haha. Natrauma ung brother kong first time mag airplane. But the flight going home was nice, we were able to sleep pa. its like when i fly with air asia (yung pauwi)
Posted December 2022 by Pets23, Caloocan
Traveller reviews originally published on TripAdvisor, shown for reference — service standards may have changed since. Originfacts does not edit or verify individual reviews, and the sample reflects who chose to leave one.
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FAQ
Royal Air Philippines — frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the details travellers usually check first, from codes and locations to the practical basics that help with planning.
8 common questions
- Royal Air Philippines currently has no active scheduled passenger network following its January 2026 suspension. Its former network included domestic leisure destinations and selected cities in East and Southeast Asia.
- There are no current scheduled passenger tickets to compare. If sales resume, lower fares are generally more likely when booking early, travelling outside holidays and weekends, and comparing flexible dates.
- Carry-on limits can vary by fare and operating policy, and no current passenger allowance should be assumed during the suspension. If services resume, check the baggage terms shown on the airline’s official booking page before travel.
- Clark International Airport in Pampanga was Royal Air Philippines’s primary passenger hub. Scheduled passenger operations have been suspended since January 2026.
- Originfacts compares live fares from hundreds of airlines and travel agencies via its partner Travelpayouts and never adds a fee. Availability will depend on whether Royal Air Philippines resumes bookable passenger services.
- Clark International Airport was the carrier’s main departure point, with Manila also featuring in its former network. Current passenger departures are unavailable while scheduled services remain suspended.
- Royal Air Philippines has no current scheduled passenger route, so it does not presently have a longest passenger service. Historical international routes should not be presented as active flights.
- Royal Air Philippines currently serves no scheduled passenger destinations because its passenger flights are suspended. Older destination totals describe its former network and should not be treated as current.