Plane gets stuck on grassy part of Naia taxiway, may affect flights

The Manila International Airport Authority says a Cebu Pacific Air A-321 aircraft got stuck on the grassy portion of the taxiway of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 3 on Friday morning, July 12, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Miaa)

MANILA, Philippines —  A Cebu Pacific aircraft got stuck on the grassy portion of the taxiway at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) on Friday morning.

In a message sent to the Inquirer, the airline said that the A-321 aircraft did not veer off or swerve and only got stuck during a repositioning activity at the Naia Terminal 3 taxiway, contrary to earlier reports.

“It didn’t veer off or swerve. It wasn’t landing or taking off. The aircraft was not operating a flight, [and] was not landing or taking off. During repositioning or parking procedure, it got stuck on the ground. That’s why it has no flight number, no passengers, [and] no flight crew,” Cebu Pacific explained.

Meanwhile, in its official advisory, the airline said that its team is already removing the disabled aircraft from the taxiway, delaying some flights.

“This situation is causing ramp congestion and subsequent delays in our operations. Our team is actively working to resolve this issue promptly,” Cebu Pacific said.

The Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) earlier reported that the airplane “slightly swerved” from the taxiway while repositioning from Bay 111 to Bay 122A of  Terminal 3.  

“Due to the incident, Bays 110-112 are temporarily unavailable, leaving three parking bays for wide-body aircraft,” Miaa said.

“Miaa seeks the understanding of all passengers whose flights may be affected by expected delays in flight schedules. They are advised to wait for airline announcements regarding revised timings,” Miaa added.