MANILA, Philippines – A pothole forced the closure of one of the two runways of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Tuesday afternoon, May 30, affecting a number of domestic and international flights.
NAIA's Runway 06/24 was closed starting 1 pm Tuesday "due to reported potholes and debris" on the said runway, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said in an advisory.
The temporary runway closure was necessary for the immediate repair of the pothole, which, if left unrepaired, could endanger landing or departing aircraft.
The runway was reopened at 3:50 pm.
During the closure of the said runway, the airport's other runway, Runway 13/31, remained open for smaller aircraft.
A total of 27 flights were affected by the repairs, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Ed Monreal told dzMM in an interview.
Of these, 9 flights were cancelled, 7 were delayed, and 11 were diverted to other airports, in particular to nearby Clark International Airport. – Rappler.com