Aircraft skids off at NAIA; causes int’l runway closure till noon

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). (Photo by Mithril Cloud at English Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA — Due to heavy rains, Xiamen Air flight MF8667 skidded off at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) shortly before midnight Thursday, causing the airport’s international runway (runway 06/24) closure until noon Friday, authorities said.

All passengers and crew were safe and were deplaned using the aircraft’s emergency chute. They are being assisted by the airline and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) as they wait for Xiamen Air operations to resume.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) is now investigating the incident.

Meanwhile, many international flights were either cancelled or were diverted to Clark due to runway 06/24 closure.

Not all international flights will be affected by the runway closure, MIAA Public Affairs Department’s officer-in-charge Ma. Consuelo Bungag told reporters on Thursday.

“International flights using aircraft type A320 and below can use NAIA’s domestic runway,” she said.

The MIAA, on the other hand, advises affected passengers to closely coordinate with the airlines.