At least seven commercial aircraft of Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air and Zest Air were diverted early morning Friday to Clark International Airport Corp. in Pampanga due to bad weather in Metro Manila brought about by Typhoon “Butchoy” (International name: “Nepartak”).
Some regional and domestic flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport remain suspended due to bad weather.
Ding Aranas, CIAC airport terminal manager said that PAL flight 321 from Davao, and Cebu Pacific flight 319 from Cebu arrived at Clark Airport starting at 6 a.m. Friday after the Manila International Airport Authority suspended several international and domestic flights at Naia.
Aranas also said that more aircraft reached Clark Airport, among them PAL Airbus flight 340 from San Francisco, domestic flights of Cebu Pacific from Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod and of Zest Air from Cebu.
He said all passengers of the diverted flights landed safely at Clark.
But a MIAA Media Affairs office advisory to The Standard said all diverted flights at Clark landed at the Naia one after the other starting 9 a.m. after the weather improved in Manila.
MIAA said that as of noon on Friday, 12 flights were canceled due to the weather disturbance affecting northern Luzon including Batanes.
Regional flights to Taiwan were also affected, with China Airlines flight CI 711/712 from Manila to Kaoshung (Taiwan) and back to Manila and Eva Air’s flight BR277/278 from Manila to Taipei to Manila cancelled.
Eight Domestic flights were affected: PAL Express flights 2P 2084/2085 and Skyjet flights M8 816/817 from Manila to Basco and back to Manila, CebGo flight 6041/6042 from Manila-Busuanga-Manila and Air Asia flight Z2 775/776 from Manila-Cebu-Manila were canceled.
Meanwhile, CIAC terminal operations said that at least 10 commercial aircraft of the Republic of Taiwan sought refuge at Clark International Airport late Thursday afternoon due to Typhoon “Butchoy”, which battered parts of Taiwan on Friday.
The CIAC said among the aircraft were TransAsia Airways A320, A321, three ATR72; Mandarin Airlines A320 and two ERJ190s; and two TigerAir Taiwan A320s.