| |||||||
Founded | July 22, 2019 | ||||||
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Commenced operations | December 17, 2020 | ||||||
Operating bases | |||||||
Fleet size | 3 [1] | ||||||
Destinations | 9 | ||||||
Parent company | Sunlight Express Airways Corp. | ||||||
Headquarters | 10F Ri-Rance Corporate Center 1, Blk 2 Lot 16, Aseana City, Parañaque, Philippines [2] | ||||||
Key people | Ryna Brito-Garcia (CEO) [3] | ||||||
Website | www |
Sunlight Express Airways, operating as Sunlight Air, is a boutique airline in the Philippines based in Clark, Pampanga. It operates flights from its operating base in Clark International Airport to Busuanga, Puerto Princesa, Caticlan, Panglao, Siargao, and Cebu using its fleet of three ATR 72-500s.
Sunlight Air was established on July 22, 2019, as a chartered airline. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, it began operations on December 17, 2020, with an inaugural flight from Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila to Busuanga in Palawan. The airline promotes itself using the tagline, "Bringing Warmth to the Skies!". [4] [5] [6]
The airline currently operates a fleet of three ATR 72-500s and provides domestic non-scheduled airline services from its hub in Clark, Pampanga to Busuanga and Puerto Princesa in Palawan, Boracay in Caticlan, Siargao in Surigao del Norte, Panglao in Bohol, and Cebu City. [4] [5] [6] The airline is linked to Sunlight Hotels and Resorts group, which owns upper and mid-range hotels on Palawan and Busuanga Island in the western Philippines and offers travel packages inclusive of flights and accommodations to and from Sunlight Ecotourism Island Resort in Culion, Palawan. [3]
As of July 2024 [update] , Sunlight Air flies (or has flown) to the following domestic destinations in the Philippines:
As of July 2024 [update] , Sunlight Air operates the following aircraft: [1]
Aircraft | Total | Orders | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
ATR 72-500 | 3 | — | Former Bangkok Airways fleet. [3] |
ATR 72-600 | — | 1 | [11] |
Total | 3 | — |
Ninoy Aquino International Airport, also known as Manila International Airport (MIA), is the main international airport serving Metro Manila in the Philippines. Located between the cities of Pasay and Parañaque, about 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) south of Manila proper and southwest of Makati, it is the main gateway for travelers to the Philippines and serves as a hub for PAL Express and Philippine Airlines. It is also the main operating base for AirSWIFT, Cebgo, Cebu Pacific, and Philippines AirAsia.
Cebu Air, Inc., operating as Cebu Pacific, is a Philippine low-cost airline based at Pasay in Metro Manila. Founded in 1988, the airline was the first low-cost carrier in Asia and is also the largest airline in the Philippines. It offers scheduled flights to both domestic and international destinations. The airline operates flights from five bases in Cebu, Clark, Davao, Iloilo, and its largest base in Manila.
Pacific East Asia Cargo Airlines, Inc. was a cargo airline based in Pasay, Philippines. The carrier served domestic services from the Philippines with two Boeing 727 freighter aircraft. The airline also had an agreement on selected routes flown by Air Philippines. PEAC was also an affiliate airline of TNT Airways, with PEAC operating TNT leased BAe 146 aircraft.
Cebgo, Inc., operating as Cebgo or Cebu Pacific Cargo , is the regional brand cargo airline of Cebu Pacific. It is the successor company to SEAIR, Inc., which previously operated as South East Asian Airlines and Tigerair Philippines. It is now owned by JG Summit, the parent company of Cebu Pacific which operates the airline. The airline's main base has been transferred from Clark International Airport in Angeles City to Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila. On April 30, 2017, Cebgo planned to move out from Manila and transfer its main base to Mactan–Cebu International Airport in Cebu City because NAIA has already maxed out its capacity. Currently, it operates an all-ATR fleet, with a total of 16 in service.
PT Wings Abadi Airlines, operating as Wings Air, is a scheduled commuter passenger low-cost airline based in Jakarta, Indonesia. The airline operates out of Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar as well as several other airports around Indonesia. The company was established as a short-haul regional flight service, wholly owned subsidiary of Lion Air and started operations on July 10, 2003 and the airline is currently linking tier-two and tier-three cities in Indonesia as to bypass the airline's congested base in Jakarta.
Interisland Airlines is a Filipino air charter company, headquartered in Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay, Manila, Philippines. It is nevertheless a subsidiary of Interisland Resorts & Services, Inc. and it provides domestic, as well as international charter services carrying passengers and cargo.
Godofredo P. Ramos Airport, also known as Caticlan Airport and recently, Boracay Airport by its developer Trans Aire, is an international airport serving the general area of the municipality of Malay, located in the province of Aklan in the Philippines. It is one of the two gateways to Boracay, the other being Kalibo International Airport in Kalibo.
Puerto Princesa International Airport is an airport serving the general area of Puerto Princesa, located in the province of Palawan in the Philippines. It is classified as an international airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
Francisco B. Reyes Airport, more commonly known as Busuanga Airport, is an airport serving the general area of Coron, located in Busuanga Island in the province of Palawan, Philippines. It is also shared with the neighboring municipality of Busuanga, located on the western half of the island. Since November 10, 2008, the airport has been named after Francisco B. Reyes, the mayor of Coron from 1936 to 1939 who donated the land that forms the current airport complex.
Firefly is a Malaysian regional and a low-cost carrier. It operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), alongside Malaysia Airlines, MASwings, MASkargo and Amal. Established on 3 April 2007 as a regional carrier, the airline operates domestic flights within Malaysia and to neighboring countries, including Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and China. Its main hubs are Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang and Penang International Airport, with a secondary hub at Kota Kinabalu International Airport.
MASwings is a regional airline in Malaysia, established on 1 October 2007 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), which also includes Malaysia Airlines, MASkargo, Firefly and Amal. The airline is dedicated to providing essential air connectivity to remote and rural areas in Sabah and Sarawak under the Rural Air Services (RAS) program.
Air Philippines Corporation, operating as PAL Express and formerly branded as Air Philippines and Airphil Express, is a wholly-owned subsidiary airline of Philippine Airlines. It is PAL's regional brand, with services from its hubs in Manila, Clark, Cebu, and Davao.
Philippines AirAsia, Inc. is a Philippine low-cost airline based at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay, Metro Manila. The airline is the Philippine affiliate of the Malaysian AirAsia. The airline started as a joint venture among three Filipino investors and AirAsia Investments Ltd., a subsidiary of AirAsia Berhad.
San Vicente Airport is an airport in San Vicente, Palawan, Philippines. The airport was opened for general aviation flights on 22 June 2017, and opened for commercial flights by the end of 2017. The airport was built to boost tourism in the town and as an alternative to much smaller El Nido Airport.
Magnum Air (SkyJet), Inc., operating as SkyJet Airlines, is a Philippine low-cost regional airline based in Manila, Philippines. Previously an air charter company, SkyJet commenced commercial operations on 14 December 2012, offering direct flights from Manila to underserved destinations, particularly, Basco, Batanes; Coron, Palawan; San Vicente, Palawan; and Camiguin. It bills itself as the first boutique airline in the Philippines.
SEAir International is an all-cargo airline headquartered in Clark, Philippines. The airline is one of the two all cargo airlines operating in the country. Its main base is Clark International Airport in Pampanga, Philippines.
AirSWIFT is a boutique airline in the Philippines with a permit to operate domestic scheduled and non-scheduled air transportation services. It also served the aircraft transportation requirements of its affiliated company, El Nido Resorts. In October 2024, Cebu Pacific acquired AirSWIFT at a cost of P1.75 billion from ALI Capital Corporation of Ayala Corporation.
Mactan–Cebu International Airport (MCIA) is the main international airport serving Metro Cebu; it serves as the main gateway to the Central Visayas region in the Philippines. Located on a 797-hectare (1,970-acre) site in Lapu-Lapu City on Mactan, it is the second busiest airport in the Philippines. Opened on April 27, 1966, the airport serves as a hub for Philippine Airlines, and as an operating base for Cebu Pacific, Philippines AirAsia, and Sunlight Air.
Air Juan Aviation, Inc., operating as Air Juan, is a registered scheduled and non-scheduled domestic airline operating in the Philippines with bases in Manila, Puerto Princesa and Cebu. It is the first commercial seaplane operator in the Philippines.
Royal Air Charter Service, Inc., operating as Royal Air Philippines, is a Philippine-registered low-cost airline. The company was established on August 22, 2002, as a chartered airline. It began operations as a budget airline on December 14, 2018, with an inaugural flight from its hub in Clark, Pampanga to Caticlan in Aklan.