THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Tuesday, August 21, sought to calm the outrage caused by the Xiamen Air accident and defended the airport authorities' failure to immediately clear the runway of the disabled aircraft.
In a statement, the department said recovering a disabled aircraft is "far different from towing a bus or a car."
"One false move, the plane might explode," it said.
Xiamen Air Flight MF8667 skidded off the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) international runway 06/24 at 11:55 p.m. on Thursday, August 16, during a heavy downpour. All 157 passengers and flight crew were safely evacuated, but the aircraft was disabled after an engine got ripped off.
The runway was shut down for almost 36 hours and reopened only on Saturday noon, August 18, after the disabled aircraft was lifted using two mobile cranes from the site of the accident and transported to the Balagbag Ramp.
The shutdown stranded thousands of passengers not only in NAIA but in other airports as well after flights were cancelled. Scores of incoming international flights had to be diverted to airports in Clark, Cebu, Davao and even Hong Kong, Bangkok and Tokyo.
The DOTr statement said the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), which oversees the NAIA, had to follow technical protocols based on International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards in recovering a disabled aircraft.
"In the case of the recent Xiamen incident, please note that in addition to its size and weight, there were also four tons of unused fuel at the wings that are highly combustible, necessitating extra care to avoid fire or explosion. Apart from passengers, we also think about the safety of the rescuers. One false move, the plane might explode," the DOTr said.
The department said all procedures under the airport emergency plan on aircraft recovery were followed, but the disabled aircraft was stuck in "very muddy terrain."
"Unfortunately, the aircraft straddled on very muddy terrain. Adding to the struggle is the uncooperative weather condition—strong winds, and heavy rains. We had to bring in a high capacity telescopic crane (500t), (which was) rented," the DOTr statement added.
Meanwhile, dealing with the stranded passengers is the responsibility of the airlines, the DOTr said.
"As to passengers, please note that airlines are the ones that control and manage the services they render to their passengers," the department stated.
Tugade earlier called the incident an "eye opener" and called for a review of intervention processes.
Tugade also cited the need to review the Air Passengers Bill of Rights (APBR), recast the airport's equipment inventory, and enhance the training modules in cases of emergencies.
The DOTr chief also reiterated the need to implement the department's aviation roadmap, which calls for the following: improved facilities and structures of existing gateways, such as in NAIA Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4; construction of other primary gateways, such as Bulacan and Sangley; development or upgrading of regional and provincial airports; and establishment of air traffic control and management systems.
Among the regional and provincial airports, those in Puerto Princesa, Cebu, Tuguegarao and San Vicente have been upgraded.
New airports are also being built in Panglao (Bohol) and Bicol while construction of the Bukidnon Airport is targeted to start before the end of 2018.
The roadmap also envisions all commercial airports to be night-rated.
In terms of air traffic management, Tugade noted that 10 more air traffic radars have been installed since he assumed office to add to the existing three radars.
As flight operations have yet to normalize, the DOTr appealed to the public to help resolve the problem.
"Accusing, sowing intrigues and maligning our offices and officials will not help at this time," it said. (SunStar Philippines with PR)