Asphalt machine glitch strands 300 passengers at Zambo airport

At least 300 passengers got stranded at the Zamboang City Airport after an asphalt paver machine malfunctioned and became an obstruction at the runway, forcing the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to cancel and divert several flights.

According to a report on GMA News' "News TV Live" on Saturday, CAAP immediately canceled three flights bound to Zamboanga City and diverted one flight to Mactan, Cebu, while another one  flew back to Manila.

CAAP officer-in-charge Reynaldo Alforte said the airport's runway has been closed since Friday night due to an ongoing asphalt overlay. 

The repair and maintenance activity was about to finish when the contractor's equipment suddenly suffered a glitch.

More flights had to be canceled while the equipment was being removed from the runway.

The asphalt paver was removed from the runway around 8 a.m. Two hours later, at 10 a.m., the runway was reopened but flights did not come in until 2 p.m.

Airport authorities are now investigating the incident. — John Ted Cordero/MDM, GMA News