THOUSANDS of passengers were stranded at four terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Monday following the cancellation of more than 306 local and international flights because of Typhoon “Nina.”
“As early as 8 a.m., over hundreds of flights were canceled. All aircraft [on the ground] were evacuated to a safer place,” said Manila International Airport Authority general manager Eddie Villanueva Monreal.
He added that some foreign airlines that landed Monday morning had departed and returned to their respective points of origin before the typhoon made landfall in Batangas.
The MIAA said 306 flights—270 domestic and 36 international—were grounded because of the bad weather. Most of these flights were from Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air and Air Asia Zest.
International flights to and from Singapore, Jakarta, Shanghai, Riyadh, Haneda and Guangzhou were cancelled, as were domestic flights to and from Cebu, Davao, Tagbilaran, Caticlan, Zamboanga, Puerto Princesa, Kalibo, Dumaguete, Roxas and Dipolog.
Monreal said incoming foreign airlines flights were also canceled except those that had flight schedules in the morning.
The airport authority was still anticipating shutting down the runway once the typhoon’s wind speed reaches 50 knots. The speed of the wind around 10 a.m. Monday was about 25 knot, which MIAA said was still tolerable.
Monreal and airline officials met over the weekend to discuss measures to be taken once the typhoon made landfall. The meeting was also attended by Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines director general Jim Sydiongco.
Naia Terminal 3 was most affected by the flight cancellations.
Monreal advised passengers whose flights have been canceled by their airlines to keep track of recovery flights to be dispatched by the carriers once the weather improves.
He also urged airlines to constantly inform their passengers about the status of the flights.
The Philippine Coast Guard reported that 10,968 passengers were stranded at various ports nationwide due to Typhoon “Nina.”
In its advisory, the PCG said travel was suspended for 1,047 roll-on roll off vessels, 37 sea vessels, and six motorized bancas in various ports across the country.
The typhoon also rendered 15 road sections in the Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Calabarzon and Cordillera regions impassable, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported Monday.
An executive summary released by the department said eight road sections in Bicol and Eastern Visayas were closed to traffic due to an ongoing slope protection project, possible recurrence of landslides, and fallen trees and utility posts.
It added that six road sections affected by previous typhoons and continuous monsoon rains are still closed to traffic–four in the Cordillera region and two in the Calabarzon region.
In the Calabarzon region, clearing operations were being conducted along the Marikina-Infanta Road in Infanta, Quezon as well as the Querocep Bridge; and the Diokno Highway in Kalaka, Batangas.
In the Bicol region, clearing operations were ongoing due to fallen trees along several roads, includingCamarines Sur’s Daang Maharlika Highway
In Eastern Visayas, the Wright-Taft-Borongan Road in Brgy. Fatima, Hinabangan, Samar was only passable to light vehicles. Heavy vehicles have been advised to take the San Juanico-Basey-Marabout Road as an alternative route. With PNA