Air transport authorities have temporarily shut down the Iloilo International Airport after a Cebu Pacific plane overshot the runway Friday night.
The airport was closed until 7 p.m. on Sunday, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said in its Notice to Airmen.
“Caap is doing its best to extract the aircraft so that flights will be normalized soon. We ask the public for understanding as ensuring passengers safety and security is paramount in maintaining our airports and skies safe for travel.”
“Removal efforts are ongoing,” Cebu Pacific spokesperson Charo Logarda Lagamon said in a television interview.
“However, as seen from the video and seen from images posted, weather has not been favorable and this is, of course, causing some delay with regards to removing the aircraft from the runway,” she added.
Cebu Pacific 5J 461, an Airbus A320 with 180 passengers and six crew members onboard, overshot the runway and veered into a nearby rice field due to heavy rains that brought strong winds.
All the passengers and crew members on the plane were evacuated and are safe.
Cebu Pacific also deployed flights and provided transportation to and from Roxas City, some 110 km away from Iloilo, to accommodate passengers.
On Sunday, Cebu Pacific cancelled the following flights: 5J164 (Cebu-Iloilo), 5J462 (Iloilo-Manila) and 5J 461 (Manila-Iloilo).
“CEB Customer Care agents are contacting passengers on the canelled flights to apprise them of the new schedule. They will also receive a free round-trip travel voucher to any domestic Cebu Pacific destination,” the airline said in a statement.
The airline added that guests with concerns regarding their flights may call the Cebu Pacific hotline at (+632) 702-0886, or message the official Cebu Pacific pages on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/cebupacificair), or Twitter (@CebuPacificAir).