Removing plane from runway not as easy as towing vehicle from road — DOTr

After being criticized about the amount of time it took to remove the stalled Xiamen Airline aircraft from the runway, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Tuesday said removing an airline is different from towing a regular vehicle on the road.

The transportation department said certain protocols had to be followed before the stalled Xiamen aircraft could be removed from the rain-soaked runway.

“In the case of the recent Xiamen incident, please note that in addition to its size and weight, there were also four tons of unused fuel at the wings that are highly combustible, necessitating extra care to avoid fire or explosion,” the DOTr said in a statement.

“Apart from passengers, we also thought about the safety of the rescuers. One false move, the plane might explode,” it added.

According to the DOTr, all safety measures written in the airport’s emergency plan were followed during the Xiamen Airline incident that happened on Thursday night.

READ: Dozens of flights affected as plane skids off rain-soaked Naia runway

However, the transportation department said one of the reasons why it took them more than 12 hours to remove the plane was the weather condition.

Xiamen Airline Flight M8667 was removed at around 5:00 a.m. on Saturday and the affected runway at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport only reopened at around 11:28 a.m. on the same day.

READ: MIAA: Naia operations return to normal after 24-hour runway closure

“All procedures as written in our airport emergency plan on aircraft recovery were followed. Unfortunately, the aircraft straddled on the very muddy terrain. Adding to the struggle is the uncooperative weather condition—strong winds, and heavy rains,” the DOTr said

DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade already issued an apology to the passengers affected by the runway closure saying that this was “not of our own liking, nor of our making.”

“This incident served as eye-opener—a reminder for us to take a second look at the processes, procedures, and protocols of concerned agencies, as well as airlines, so that we may all improve in the future,” he said.   /vvp

READ: Tugade: Naia runway mishap an eye-opener for airport management