A Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight from Manila was forced to make an emergency landing at Haneda Airport in Tokyo early Thursday morning after smoke was reported inside the aircraft cabin, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) confirmed.
The flight, PAL 102, departed from Manila around 10 p.m. on Wednesday. All passengers and crew members were reported safe following the emergency landing, according to Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon in a radio interview with DZRH.
“PAL 102 was diverted to Haneda due to reports of smoke inside the cabin. Fortunately, everyone is safe. The aircraft is now at Haneda, and we are coordinating with both airport authorities and PAL to manage the situation,” Dizon said in Filipino.
Upon landing, the aircraft doors were opened to ventilate the cabin, and the plane was undergoing a thorough inspection as of press time. The source of the smoke has yet to be determined.
Dizon said the DOTr is in close coordination with Haneda Airport officials to request ground handling assistance and facilitate the disembarkation of passengers during the ongoing investigation.
“It’s a bit difficult because Haneda’s ground personnel are currently occupied with handling scheduled flights,” he added.
To help expedite the process, Dizon also sought the intervention of Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuya Endo.
“I requested Japanese Ambassador Endo to help us by informing the Japanese authorities at Haneda to assist our PAL flight so that the passengers could disembark,” he said.
He also confirmed that the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has been informed of the incident.
“Our airlines are accountable for the safety and comfort of their passengers. Passenger rights must be upheld in situations like this,” Dizon emphasized.