IT WAS a nightmare for thousands of passengers following the closure of the main runway of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after a Chinese airline skidded off a runway at the country’s airport.
The incident caused disrupted flights and thousands of passengers stranded. Very chaotic.
Local and international flights were delayed, canceled, and redirected to another airport or country.
Xiamen Air skidded off the international runway of NAIA on Thursday during a heavy downpour. All 157 passengers and flight crew were safely evacuated.
NAIA reopened its international runway 06/24 shortly before noon Saturday, more than 24 hours after it was shut down due to a stalled aircraft.
The disabled aircraft was lifted using two mobile cranes from the site of the accident.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, in a statement issued shortly after the runway was reopened on Saturday, apologized for the inconvenience caused by the incident involving Xiamen Air.
“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 stated.
He said the incident served as an eye-opener for both the Department of Transportation and airport authorities to review the “processes, procedures, and protocols of concerned agencies, as well as airlines.”
Civil Aeronautics Board deputy executive director Wyrlou Samodio said passengers can lodge a complaint against Xiamen Air as long as they can substantiate their claim.
Initial investigation showed that the incident was caused either by bad weather or communication between the pilot and control tower.
The nightmare is not yet over though.