CEBU CITY – Runway operations at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) were suspended Monday, Oct. 24, after a Korean Air plane overshot the runway on Sunday night, Oct. 23.
MCIA Assistant General Manager Glen Napuli said the MCIA runway will be closed until midnight Tuesday while efforts to remove the ill-fated Korean Air Flight KE631 continued.
“We are doing all necessary means to take out the plane,” Napuli said in a press briefing Monday morning.
In a statement, the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), said Korean Air Flight KE631, which came from Seoul, South Korea, overshot the runway in a landing attempt.
Rains were heavy at the time of the incident, said MCIA.
“No one was hurt during the incident. All 162 passengers and 11 crew onboard the A330 aircraft were immediately evacuated and tended to by airport emergency personnel,” the MCIAA.
“The incident has necessitated the temporary closure of the MCIA runway to allow for the safe removal of the aircraft. For now, all international and domestic flights to and from MCIA are canceled until further notice,” MCIAA added.
The cause of the overshot is still being investigated by the Civil Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Napuli said.
“We don’t want to preempt as to what really happened. We are still awaiting official investigation,” said Napuli.
Napuli said that for the run way to be open, the aircraft must be removed some 30 meters from the runway.
He said all passengers, crew, as well as the cargoes have been removed from the aircraft.
Napuli said the aircraft was also defueled to ensure the safety of personnel who will help remove the aircraft from the runway.
While runway operations at MCIA are suspended, aircraft were advised to divert to other airports.
“For Cebu-bound aircraft, they can use the Dumaguete airport or Bohol airport,“ Napuli said.
Korean Air president Woo Kee-hong has apologized over the incident and vowed a "thorough investigation" by both Philippine and Korean authorities.
"We always prioritize safety in all of our operations, and we truly regret the stress and inconvenience brought to our passengers," Woo said in statement posted on the company website.
Flights were cancelled as the aircraft was being removed by authorities on Monday.
They were:
Cebu Pacific
5J 563/564 Manila-Cebu- Manila
5J 2510 Cebu-Manila
5J 565/566 Manila-Cebu-Manila
5J 571/572 Manila-Cebu-Manila
5J 567/568 Manila-Cebu-Manila
5J 577/578 Manila-Cebu- Manila
AirAsia
Z2 780 Cebu-Manila
Z2 781 Manila-Cebu
Z2 775 Manila-Cebu
Z2 776 Cebu-Manila
Z2 550 Cebu-Caticlan
Z2 551 Caticlan-Cebu
Philippine Airlines
PR1868 Cebu -Manila
PR1841 Manila-Cebu
PR1842 Cebu-Manila
PR1845 Manila-Cebu
PR1846 Cebu-Manila
PR1847 Manila-Cebu
PR1848 Cebu-Manila
PR2995 Cebu-Cagayan de Oro
PR2996 Cagayan de Oro-Cebu
PR2313 Cebu-Cagayan de Oro
PR2314 Cagayan de Oro-Cebu
PR2833 Cebu-Clark
PR2834 Clark-Cebu
PR2287 Cebu-Bacolod
PR2288 Bacolod-Cebu
PR2236 Cebu-Tacloban
PR2237 Tacloban-Cebu
PR2347 Cebu-Puerto Princesa
PR2348 Puerto Princesa-Cebu
PR2345 Cebu-Davao
PR2346 Davao-Cebu
PR2363 Cebu-Davao
PR2372 Davao-Tagbilaran
PR2373 Tagbilaran-Davao
PR2364 Davao-Cebu
PR2361 Cebu-Butuan
PR2362 Butuan-Cebu
PR2384 Cebu-Iloilo
PR2385 Iloilo-Cebu
Sunday, Oct. 23
PR1869 Manila-Cebu
(with a report from AFP and Ariel Fernandez)