PAL cancels flights from Cagayan de Oro to Clark and back after Monday’s quake

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — An airline company has canceled its flights bound for Clark in Pampanga City from Laguindingan Airport here and vice versa, following the earthquake that rocked parts of Central Luzon Monday and damaged portions of the Clark International Airport.

Job de Jesus, Laguindingan Airport manager, said his office received an advisory from the flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) early Tuesday morning, canceling at least four flights between Laguindingan and Clark on Tuesday.

De Jesus said the cancellation of flights, which was issued by PAL on Monday, would take effect “until further notice.”

PAL has been flying the two destinations daily, aside from three days in a week when it also serves night flights.  “Due to the Central Luzon earthquake, the Clark Airport Authority has declared the temporary closure of  the Clark International Airport  until 7:40 pm on Tuesday, April 23, pending the assessment and repair of the damage incurred by the Clark terminal building,” reads a portion of the PAL statement posted on its Facebook page.

In its official flight schedules, PAL uses “Cagayan de Oro” or “CGY” as code for Laguindingan Airport, which is based in Laguindingan town, Misamis Oriental, only an hour’s ride away from Cagayan de Oro city.

Canceled were flights PR2351, which was supposed to depart for Laguindingan at 7:55 a.m. and arrive there at 9:35 a.m.; PR2352, which was supposed to depart for Clark at 10:15 a.m. and arrive there at 11:55 a.m.; PR2323 which was supposed to depart for Laguindingan at 6:50 p.m. and to arrive there at 8:30 p.m.; and PR2324 which would have left for Clark at 7:30 p.m. to arrive there at 9:10 p.m.

PAL advised affected passengers to either rebook their flights within 30 days on the same cabin class without fees or refund their tickets. They can also reroute their flights on the same cabin class within three days, without fees.

Laguindingan Airport administrative officer Ariel Paderan, meanwhile, said they had yet to determine the number of passengers affected by the flight cancellation, but clarified that no one was stranded as most managed to rebook their tickets after PAL issued the advisory.