GenSan flights canceled due to Taal volcano eruption

GENERAL SANTOS CITY –– At least four flights from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to this city were canceled on Monday due to the eruption of Taal Volcano, an official said.

Eduardo Cueto, manager of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines here, said the flight cancellations also affected some 600 passengers flying to Manila from here.

“We provided the stranded passengers with water and crackers,” he said.

Despite announcements on the cancellation of their flights, many passengers going to Manila on Monday still proceeded to the airport here, hoping they could fly out, Cueto added. “But in the end, the stranded passengers decided to go home and re-booked their flights,” he said.

Cueto said Cebu Pacific Air canceled three flights and one by Philippine Airlines from the NAIA to General Santos City.

Located in Batangas province, Taal Volcano erupted Sunday afternoon, sending plumes 10 to 15 kilometers above the crater.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology classified Taal Volcano’s activity on Sunday as a phreatic eruption, sending heated steam shooting up into the air, affecting nearby areas, including Metro Manila. But Phivolcs raised the alert level to No. 4 on Sunday evening, saying the volcano started to release lava and warned the public to prepare for a “hazardous” eruption.

NAIA canceled airport operations Sunday following the volcanic eruption. It resumed partial operations at noontime Monday.

As of noon Monday, Cueto said they were still waiting for advice from their office in Manila if the scheduled flights to and from here would resume later in the afternoon.

He said the flights between GenSan and the cities of Iloilo and Cebu have not been affected./lzb