PAL flight from Dumaguete makes emergency landing at Iloilo Int'l Airport; passenger recounts experience
By Tara Yap
OXYGEN masks drop as a PAL flight makes an emergency landing at Iloilo International Airport on Sunday. (Jong Narciso FB)
ILOILO CITY – A Dumaguete-Manila flight of Philippine Airlines (PAL) made an emergency landing at Iloilo International Airport around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, April 19.
"Reports indicate that the oxygen supply in the cabin was insufficient after the aircraft reached its cruising altitude of 32,000 feet," the airport's official page announced.
"The aircraft landed safely; however, some passengers required immediate medical assistance upon arrival," it added.
A passenger recalled their ordeal.
“Lord, my heart is still pounding. What could have been a moment of fear and uncertainty became a testimony of your protection,” shared Jong Narciso in a Facebook post.
Narciso recounted that the flight began with the airplane captain announcing the cabin’s air conditioning had to be fixed. “But midair, it wasn’t solved and there was turbulence, which made the situation stressful and overwhelming,” he said.
When the oxygen masks automatically dropped from the overhead compartments, Narciso said it was like a scene from the movies. “Today, I personally experienced it,” Narciso added.
The passenger thanked PAL pilots and flight crew for the safe landing.
Affected passengers booked separate flights back to Manila.