MANILA, Philippines—Deep potholes on the runway prompted the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to order the closure of the airport in Tacloban for 24 hours, resulting in the cancellation of at least 20 flights to and from the capital of Leyte province.
The Manila International Airport Authority issued an advisory Wednesday morning announcing that 20 flights of Cebu Pacific Air, TigerAir Philippines, AirAsia Zest, and Pal Express had been cancelled to make way for repairs on the runway of the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport from 5 a.m. of July 9 until 5 a.m. of July 10.
The MIAA had earlier announced that 38 flights, including turnarounds, had been canceled but it corrected the figure later.
Earlier, the CAAP had issued a Notice to Airmen that the Tacloban airport would be closed for a day to enable workers to patch up the potholes on the runway.
“We have been getting complaints from air carriers about the deep potholes that pose danger to aircraft and their passengers,” retired Brig. Gen. Rodante Joya, chief financial officer of CAAP, said in a phone interview.
The Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
The CAAP had been repairing the runway since the aftermath of the Super Typhoon “Yolanda” in November but heavy rains caused more potholes and interrupted the repair work.
“Airline pilots complained about the bigger potholes which they believe pose safety hazards. This emergency repair was a proactive measure on the part of the CAAP and the air carriers,” Joya said.
“A pothole-riddled road can cause damage to a vehicle traveling 40 to 60 kilometers per hour. How much more for an aircraft speeding at 200 kilometers per hour on a pothole-riddled runway,” he said.
The repair work is scheduled to be finished on July 10 at 5 p.m.
Joya said passengers were advised about the airport closure and the cancellation of flights a night before.
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