Daylong work halts at NAIA

GROUNDED A Boeing Xiamen Air plane from China sits on the grassy portion of the runway of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after it skidded off the runway while landing yesterday. All the passengers and crew of Air Flight 8667 were safe and taken to an airport terminal where they were given blankets and food before being taken to a hotel. At least 12 flights were canceled as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) runway was placed in isolation as a Xiamen Airline overshot its distance yesterday morning.

Philippine Airlines, the country’s flag carrier, also had five flights canceled as the NAIA was closed until the afternoon of Friday as rains continued to affect the extraction of Xiamen Airline flight MF 8667 from the grassy fringes of the runway.

Passengers were also advised to monitor flight advisories and more cancelations were expected throughout the day.

Rains did not help in the quick extraction of the plane which cash-landed on runway 0624.

“It was not a perfect situation,” PAL spokesman Cielo Villaluna said. “The weather and logistical coordination also caused some ground delays.”

Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Director General Jim Sydiongco announced closure of the runway until before nighttime.

Some flights were diverted to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, Pampanga.

“We needed to follow the basic requirements of the passenger’s Bill of Rights,” Villaluna said of the process undertaken by the authorities.

Witnesses said the wet runway caused the plane to skid into the grassy area where it got stuck.

All 157 passengers were declared safe and given medical attention after they were made to leave their vessel through its emergency chute.