Puerto Princesa International Airport (PPS)
Private flights to Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Charter a private aircraft from Puerto Princesa Airport: live prices to El Nido, Coron and San Vicente, airport facts, and why the city is the gateway.
Puerto Princesa is where almost every Palawan trip actually begins. Its airport carries more scheduled airline service than anywhere else in the province, which makes it the default gateway even for travellers whose real destination is El Nido, Coron or somewhere further north. The Underground River, the province’s best-known day trip, is reachable from the city; everywhere else on this list is a long drive from it.
That last point is the one people underestimate when they book their flights. Landing in Puerto Princesa does not put you near El Nido or Coron — it puts you at one end of a highway that takes five to six hours to the north, or at the start of a routing problem to reach Busuanga at all. A private aircraft closes that gap directly from the terminal: El Nido in about fifty minutes, San Vicente in about half an hour, Coron in about 75 minutes, without the drive.
Because the airport sits close to the city centre, that onward flight can be booked the same day as an inbound scheduled arrival, with the connection made from one terminal rather than a transfer across town — useful on the morning a family lands from Manila and wants to be in El Nido by lunch.
Flights to and from Puerto Princesa
Puerto Princesa, Palawan ⇄ El Nido, Palawan
About 50 minutes in the air
Puerto Princesa, Palawan ⇄ Coron (Busuanga), Palawan
About 75 minutes in the air
Puerto Princesa, Palawan ⇄ San Vicente, Palawan
About 30 minutes in the air
Puerto Princesa, Palawan ⇄ Cuyo, Palawan
About 55 minutes in the air
Why fly to Puerto Princesa
The case for flying on from Puerto Princesa is the same case that applies across Palawan: the airline schedule gets you to the province, but it rarely gets you to the town you actually came for. A charter picks up where the scheduled flight leaves off, the same day, from the same terminal, and it is priced for the whole aircraft rather than the seat — so it makes the most sense once there are two or three of you to split it.
The case for staying on the ground is if Puerto Princesa and its immediate surroundings, including the Underground River, are the whole trip — in which case there is no onward leg to fly, and the airport has already done its job. It is also worth a look at the empty legs page before booking any onward charter, in case an aircraft is already repositioning your way at a discount.
Frequently asked questions
- Why do most Palawan flights land in Puerto Princesa?
- It has the most scheduled airline service in the province, so it is the default gateway even when the traveller’s real destination is El Nido, Coron or somewhere further north.
- How do I get from Puerto Princesa to El Nido?
- By road (five to six hours) or by a private charter flight, which covers the same distance in under an hour. There is no reliable scheduled flight between the two.
- Is the Underground River reachable from the airport?
- Yes, it is the city’s signature day trip and is arranged from Puerto Princesa itself, not from the towns further north.
- Can I fly from Puerto Princesa to Coron privately?
- Yes. There is no reliable scheduled airline link between the two, so a charter is usually the direct option, against a full day by ferry or backtracking through Manila.