Pandemonium hits NAIA

Loss of leadership equals anarchy. Thousands of stranded passengers wait for assistance at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport as the runway opened to international and domestic flights after the removal of a Xiamen airlines plane that slid on the runway and ended up on its belly last Thursday. Rafael Taboy The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) turned into a virtual madhouse yesterday in the aftermath of clearing a Chinese plane that slid off the airport runway due to strong rains shortly before midnight on Thursday.

The chaotic situation resulted in passengers being left to fend for themselves without help from the airlines nor the airport management.

The mishap involving Xiamen Air flight MF8667 resulted in closure of the airport’s runway and the cancelation of around 165 international and local flights on Friday and Saturday.

It took 36 hours for the airport operator Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) to remove the Chinese plane from the muddy spot where it had been stuck.

Normal operations resumed just before noon on Saturday and what followed was total mayhem as offloaded passengers waiting at the airport converged with the priority passengers on normal schedule.

The MIAA prioritized the regular flights as “recovering flights” or those rescheduled or rebooked will have to wait until midnight before they will be accommodated.

Passengers waiting at the airport, however, said they were not informed of the situation nor told of steps that they should take.

“It is not true that operations are back to normal at the airport,” an irate passenger caught by the mayhem said.

“It is chaotic, a total mess, what the airport needs is someone to put things in order, they mixed the rebooking,” another flyer said.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the accident was an “eye-opener” that affected the normal operations of NAIA.

“This incident is a reminder for us to take a second look at the processes, procedures and protocols of concerned agencies, as well as airlines, so that we may all improve in the future,” Tugade said in a statement.

“It is a regrettable experience, which is not of our own liking, nor of our own making. I am sorry. We did our very best to address the situation,” he said.

“On behalf of the entire DoTr [Department of Transportation] family, I am deeply sorry,” Tugade added.

The apology did not appease those in the waiting line at the airport. “DoTr apology amounts to nothing,” a passenger waiting at the NAIA said in social media.

The Xiamen Airlines aircraft landed on its second attempt before skidding onto the grass, ripping off its left engine and blocking the runway.

The 157 passengers and eight crew aboard were able to disembark without suffering any major injuries.