Damaged PAF plane that brought aid to Batanes towed to airport side

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) Airbus C-295 skidded off the runway of the Basco Airport in Batanes on Friday (Nov. 1, 2024). (Photo courtesy of Batanes Provincial Police Office)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Air Force (PAF) transport aircraft that landed with a detached front tire at Basco Airport in Batanes on November 1 has been towed to the side of the airport.

This means the military plane will no longer hinder the relief operations to communities affected by the recent weather-related calamities in the province.

According to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr, the C-295 aircraft was used to transport relief goods to calamity victims before the incident at the runway happened.

On a related development, aside from bringing aid to victims of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami) and Typhoon Leon (international name: Kong-rey), AFP is also gearing up for the impact of Tropical Depression Marce.

READ: Brunei sends aircraft to Philippines for Kristine relief response

“Makakadala na tayo ng relief goods doon and in anticipation for the arrival of Marce, yung bagong bagyo natin, ay nag preposition na tayo ng relief goods and family food packs doon sa Batanes,” Brawner said in ambush interview on Monday.

(We will be able to bring relief goods there, and in anticipation of the arrival of Marce, our new tropical cyclone, we have prepositioned relief goods and family food packs there in Batanes.)

“We still have other airlift assets. Aside from C-295, we have C-130s [and] other C-295,” he added.

Following the damage caused by Kristine and Leon, Brawner said the country’s Asean partners, such as Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei, extended assistance to affected Philippine provinces by sending their aircraft.

The government also utilized one of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Arrangement (Edca) sites in relief operations.

“Nung bagyong Kristine ay nagamit natin yung ating Edca site sa Fort Magsaysay dahil nag-preposition tayo ng relief goods doon, pati na rin yung mga relief goods na galing sa ibang bansa tulad ng USAID (US Agency for International Development),” Brawner said.

(During Kristine, we used the Edca site in Fort Magsaysay because we prepositioned relief goods there, including those from other countries such as USAID.)

Kristine and Leon have left the country. However, the number of calamity victims continues to increase.

Based on the latest report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Kristine and Leon have so far affected over 8.6 million people nationwide.

At least 150 persons were killed.