Tacloban runway closed to large planes on Sunday

MANILA, Philippines—The airstrip in Tacloban City will be closed to large commercial planes on Sunday, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said on Saturday evening, hours after a private jet overshot the runway at the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport.

Brigadier General Rodante Joya, CAAP deputy director, said only small turboprop planes would be allowed to use the Tacloban runway.

The private jet, owned by San Miguel Corp., was carrying Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma and other government officials.

“All scheduled commercial flights tomorrow will be cancelled,” Joya said in a radio report.

Joya advised plane passengers leaving Tacloban to instead fly from Cebu, Ormoc, Bohol or Catbalogan.

“CAAP officials will go to Tacloban on Sunday to inspect the skid marks and interview the pilots to find out why the plane overshot the runway,” Joya said.