PAL tire bursts on landing

Air traffic A Philippine Airlines plane readies for take off. AFP

The tire of a Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight PR 2541 from Manila yesterday experienced tire failure while on a landing roll at the Dumaguete-Sibulan Airport runway in Negros Oriental.

Official reports said the incident, which happened around 6:42 in the morning, caused damage to the left main gear of the Airbus A320 plane.

PAL spokesman Cielo Villaluna confirmed in a radio interview that one of the plane’s tires burst upon landing. She said the investigation will seek to determine if the incident was caused by faulty maintenance or a foreign object.

The incident prompted the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to immediately issue a Notice to Airman (NOTAM) warning of the hazard in the runway caused by the disabled aircraft.

All 113 adults and 2 infants onboard together with the plane’s 6 flight crew deplaned safely.

Dunaguete Airport Manager Mark Diamoden said airport staff assisted the passengers of the plane upon their arrival at the terminal.

As a result of the incident, authorities closed the runway temporarily as maintenance crew scrambled to clear it from any foreign debris before normal flight operations can resume. Around 13 flights are expected to be delayed as a result.

Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific launched its Manila-Melbourne flight yesterday.

Melbourne is the airline’s second Australian destination after Sydney which opened four years earlier. According to Cebu Pacific it now flies the main bulk of passengers between Manila and Sydney. Likewise, the airline now flies the biggest volume of cargo in the same route.

In a tweet, Australian Ambassador Amanda Gorely welcomed Cebu-Pacific’s inaugural flight to Melbourne.

“Great to have a low-cost carrier on this route. Direct flights contribute to people links, economic ties and tourism,” she said.