Xiamen Air – MANILA RWY 06/24 still closed – won’t open until tomorrow

Xiamen Air – MANILA RWY 06/24 still closed

Manila airport is still in a distress situation after Xiamen Air belly landing. Smaller aircrafts up to Airbus A321 can land and take off in NAIA. Larger planes are still diverted or cancelled. If passengers are lucky, they arrive in Clark. If they aren’t lucky they eat Pho in Saigon or Pad Thai Kung in Bangkok.

The impact had been rather hard. Here is a photo of the sissected engine.

Earlier today CAAP, the Philippine’s Civil Aviation Authority expected to re-open runway 06/24 around 4 PM (PST) or 10 AM Zulu. But up to now smaller planes are sharing the much shorter runway 13/31.

Doubthfull reports

Press and official reports are not clear for now. Important is the fact that CAAP had been reinforced by CAAC, the Chinese Civil Aviataion Authority. East Chinese Xiamen Ai is under investigation.

NOTAMS are updated the Philippine’s style full of hope.  This mornings NOTAM said that runway 06/24 should re-open around 16:oo (PST). The latest information is:

B3831/18 – RWY06/24 CLSD DUE DISABLED ACFT. 17 AUG 10:17 2018 UNTIL 17 AUG 21:00 2018. CREATED: 17 AUG 10:18 2018

For non-aviators: Runway 06/24, the main runway in Manila,  will be closed  until 9:00 PM because of disabled aircraft. We seriously expect opening tomorrow during the day. CAAC and CAAP investigations are ongoing.

The situation in Manila

For more information we once again recommend the excellent website AVHERALD.COM created and maintained by Simon Hradecky in Salzburg, Austria.

Still expect delays of more than one hour for Manila bound flights. Longhaul flights with planes bigger than A321 or B737 are either cancelled or diverted.

[GARD]