Davao Airport Remains Closed, 3000 Stranded
More than 3,000 passengers have been left stranded at Davao International Airport as the investigation continues into the overshooting of a Cebu Pacific aircraft on the runway Sunday night.
Davao International Airport has remained closed and all flights cancelled since the incident occurred just after 7:00pm on Sunday, June 2, 2013. The airport is hoping to resume normal operations by 8:00pm on Monday night once the aircraft has been removed from the side of the runway.
Investigators from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines who are due to arrive later in the day on Monday via General Santos will be trying to determine what caused the Airbus A320 aircraft to veer off the runway while attempting to land in thunderstorms. Various reports have indicated that there may have been an engine fire or smoke in the cabin just prior to landing. Other reports state that the runway lights shut off while the plane was landing on the runway. While all 165 passengers made it off the aircraft safely without any serious injuries or fatalities, many are concerned about the poor emergency response from Davao Airport who did not arrive until at least 15 minutes after the incident occurred. In addition, questions are being raised as to why the flight crew did not evacuate the aircraft immediately following the incident.
The aircraft which remained at the side of the runway over Sunday night and early into Monday will have to be lifted and put on a steel plate before it can be removed from the field. For stranded passengers, they are all being left at the mercy of the airlines as to what options or assistance will be provided to them. However, under the declaration of Air Passenger Rights, passengers will be entitled to compensation.
Several passengers have made numerous complaints regarding Cebu Pacific's response to the incident from the lousy accommodation provided to even having to walk themselves to the Davao Airport terminal from the incident site. Some passengers were concerned as to why they were not permitted to evacuate right away while others indicated that the Captain blamed the incident on the aircraft's windshield wipers. Allegations have also been made that the first officer was in control of the aircraft at the time of the incident.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines who will be responsible for the investigation said that the aircraft will remain on the runway until the initial investigation is complete. Cebu Pacific has had to cancel at least twenty of its flights serving Davao. But the airline has made arrangements for additional flights to General Santos to accommodate affected passengers. Cebu Pacific will provide transportation between General Santos and Davao along with meals and accommodation as necessary. The bus trip will add on at least another two hours of travel for passengers.
Meanwhile, Philippine Airlines was forced to cancel nine flights while PAL Express cancelled two. The airline is also providing passengers with the opportunity to fly via General Santos. In an advisory released earlier today, Philippine Airlines announced that it would upgrade its 4:00pm flight on Monday afternoon to a wide body jet to accommodate the stranded passengers. The airline said it would then shuttle passengers to Davao on air-conditioned buses along with providing meals and drinks. Rebooking feels will be waived by both airlines.
But Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines are not the only two carriers being affected by the airport closure. Davao International Airport handles nearly 80 flights per day including international service from Silk Air. AirAsia Philippines has decided to suspend its two Clark-Davao flights scheduled on June 3 while Zest Air has suspended its five Manila-Davao flights.
Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya has requested that the Civil Aviation Authority clear the runway within the day so that flights can resume at the country's third busiest airport. Abaya asked that all efforts be exerted to remove the aircraft which is causing disruption to thousands of passengers. Representatives of the Civil Aviation Authority say that it would take until Monday night to safely remove the aircraft without causing additional damage to the aircraft or runway.
The latest advisory stated that Davao International Airport would not be re-opened until 8:00pm on Monday night. Stranded passengers are entitled to compensation for any flight cancellations or flight delays as described in the Air Passenger Bill of Rights.
In the event of flight cancellation, you must be notified prior to the flight by public announcement or written notice such as through a text message. If an airline cancels a flight due to force majeure, safety or security reasons, the passenger will have the right to full reimbursement of the fare.
In the event of a flight delay, airlines must provide complimentary food, drinks, internet access, phone use, and under extreme circumstances, lodging must be provided until the flight departs. If your flight is delayed in excess of six hours after the scheduled departure time, it is considered cancelled and you can be compensated accordingly.
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| Photo Source: Twitter |
Investigators from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines who are due to arrive later in the day on Monday via General Santos will be trying to determine what caused the Airbus A320 aircraft to veer off the runway while attempting to land in thunderstorms. Various reports have indicated that there may have been an engine fire or smoke in the cabin just prior to landing. Other reports state that the runway lights shut off while the plane was landing on the runway. While all 165 passengers made it off the aircraft safely without any serious injuries or fatalities, many are concerned about the poor emergency response from Davao Airport who did not arrive until at least 15 minutes after the incident occurred. In addition, questions are being raised as to why the flight crew did not evacuate the aircraft immediately following the incident.
The aircraft which remained at the side of the runway over Sunday night and early into Monday will have to be lifted and put on a steel plate before it can be removed from the field. For stranded passengers, they are all being left at the mercy of the airlines as to what options or assistance will be provided to them. However, under the declaration of Air Passenger Rights, passengers will be entitled to compensation.
Several passengers have made numerous complaints regarding Cebu Pacific's response to the incident from the lousy accommodation provided to even having to walk themselves to the Davao Airport terminal from the incident site. Some passengers were concerned as to why they were not permitted to evacuate right away while others indicated that the Captain blamed the incident on the aircraft's windshield wipers. Allegations have also been made that the first officer was in control of the aircraft at the time of the incident.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines who will be responsible for the investigation said that the aircraft will remain on the runway until the initial investigation is complete. Cebu Pacific has had to cancel at least twenty of its flights serving Davao. But the airline has made arrangements for additional flights to General Santos to accommodate affected passengers. Cebu Pacific will provide transportation between General Santos and Davao along with meals and accommodation as necessary. The bus trip will add on at least another two hours of travel for passengers.
Meanwhile, Philippine Airlines was forced to cancel nine flights while PAL Express cancelled two. The airline is also providing passengers with the opportunity to fly via General Santos. In an advisory released earlier today, Philippine Airlines announced that it would upgrade its 4:00pm flight on Monday afternoon to a wide body jet to accommodate the stranded passengers. The airline said it would then shuttle passengers to Davao on air-conditioned buses along with providing meals and drinks. Rebooking feels will be waived by both airlines.
But Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines are not the only two carriers being affected by the airport closure. Davao International Airport handles nearly 80 flights per day including international service from Silk Air. AirAsia Philippines has decided to suspend its two Clark-Davao flights scheduled on June 3 while Zest Air has suspended its five Manila-Davao flights.
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| Copyright Photo: Prinz Magtulis/PhilStar.com |
The latest advisory stated that Davao International Airport would not be re-opened until 8:00pm on Monday night. Stranded passengers are entitled to compensation for any flight cancellations or flight delays as described in the Air Passenger Bill of Rights.
In the event of flight cancellation, you must be notified prior to the flight by public announcement or written notice such as through a text message. If an airline cancels a flight due to force majeure, safety or security reasons, the passenger will have the right to full reimbursement of the fare.
In the event of a flight delay, airlines must provide complimentary food, drinks, internet access, phone use, and under extreme circumstances, lodging must be provided until the flight departs. If your flight is delayed in excess of six hours after the scheduled departure time, it is considered cancelled and you can be compensated accordingly.
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