Operations resume as runway reopens
LUCKY P. MALICAY
MANILA — The Ninoy Aquino International Airport runway was temporarily closed while airport officials monitored its conditions for planes after a Xiamen Airlines flight slid off the runway late Thursday evening. It reopened past 11 a.m. yesterday.
The temporary closure resulted in several flight delays and cancelations.
The Xiamen Airlines plane, carrying 157 passengers and eight crew, landed on its second attempt before skidding onto the grass and ripping off its left engine late Thursday evening, airport general manager Ed Monreal said.
All on board were safely evacuated from the aircraft with no serious injuries.
But nearly 24 hours after the accident, rescue crews were still unable to remove the plane, forcing the airport to cancel takeoffs and landings from the largest of its two runways.
The Manila International Airport Authority early yesterday said that the passenger jet was already removed from the runway and transferred to NAIA's Balabag ramp.
The runway reopened minutes before its 12noon final extension of the temporary closure.
"A final extension of runway closure until 12 noon today is necessary to give way for the demobilization of heavy equipment used to lift the aircraft. Simultaneously, clearing the runway of debris and other foreign objects will also be done," Monreal said in a statement early yesterday.
The airport general manager apologized for the inconvenience caused by the temporary runway closure to passengers.
Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines spokesman Eric Apolonio said at least 67 local and international flights were canceled on Friday.
He said that recovery efforts were being hampered by recent heavy rains that had softened the ground around the runway, making it difficult to lift the aircraft.
Four people suffered "superficial scratches" as they evacuated the Boeing 737-800 jet, which had flown to the Philippine capital from Xiamen in southeast China, airport general manager Monreal said.
"With God's blessings all passengers were able to evacuate safely," Monreal said, adding the cause of the incident was under investigation.
The second runway for smaller aircraft remained open, but the authorities said the accident has delayed thousands of passengers, including holidaymakers travelling ahead of a long weekend.
Footage from the main airport terminal showed hundreds of passengers still lined up as they sought to re-book their flights.
Many angry comments appeared on social media Friday.
"The roads are at a standstill and the main runway at (the airport) is closed. Inept and incompetence at its finest. Welcome to the Philippines," one person said in a tweet.