Davao airport may remain closed until Tuesday afternoon

Two days after an emergency landing by a Cebu Pacific aircraft there Sunday, the Davao International Airport may remain closed until at least 3 p.m. Tuesday, airport authorities said.

 

Davao airport general manager Frederick San Felix said this was due to the inability of crews contracted by Cebu Pacific to retrieve the crippled plane from the area.

 

"Hanggang ngayon closed pa ang airport operation, hanggang 3 p.m. Ang retrieval team na hinire ng Cebu Pacific, inaantay namin bumalik sa site," San Felix said in an interview on dzBB radio.

 

San Felix said Cebu Pacific's retrieval team left the area at 3:30 a.m. and had not returned. It did not even leave a skeletal force, he said.

 

But he said the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines may use the equipment of Cebu Pacific's contractor to remove the plane.

 

CAAP said it will take over removal operations.

 

However, San Felix also admitted it is possible the airport may remain closed beyond 3 p.m., especially if the airline's retrieval team does not speed up its work.

 

"Baka mag-extend pa kami uli, ang bagal gumalaw ng retrieval team," he said.

 

The Cebu Pacific plane from Manila had made an emergency landing amid a heavy downpour last Sunday.

 

It disrupted the Davao International Airport's operations, and affected the flights of other air carriers. —KG, GMA News