Passengers unharmed as plane skids off runway

THOUSANDS of air travellers faced delays yesterday after a Chinese airliner skidded off the runway at the airport in the Philippine capital Manila, disrupting more than 200 flights as authorities struggled to remove the damaged plane.

All 157 passengers and eight crew aboard the Xiamen Air Boeing 737-800 were unharmed after the accident late on Thursday, according to the airline and airport officials.

The main runway at Manila’s international airport would remain closed until 5am today to allow for more time to remove the plane, authorities said.

Some 112 international and domestic flights were cancelled and 118 flights delayed.

The disruptions led to chaotic scenes at the Philippines’ biggest airport, as travellers waited in queues outside the terminals and check-in desks.

Several passengers expressed their dismay on Facebook.

“This is very unfortunate for us who booked the hotel and tours,” said Steph Iligan. “It can’t be cancelled/refunded.”

Images of the plane – operated by Xiamen Air, a subsidiary of China Southern Airlines – showed it next to an airport perimeter fence with the left wing touching the ground.

Efforts to remove the 43-tonne plane proved difficult, prompting authorities to bring in two cranes to try to lift it.

The plane “misapproached” on its first attempt to land and lost contact with the control tower on the second, when it skidded off the runway after touching down, said Ed Monreal, general manager at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

“We offer no excuses, just a promise to bring flight operations back to normalcy by tomorrow using all our internal resources and if needed, employ outside resources notwithstanding the cost it will entail,” Monreal said. – Reuters