Kalibo International Airport operation back to normal
KALIBO, Aklan – The operation of the Kalibo International Airport is now back to normal after the slight damage at the runway leaving hundreds of passengers stranded Sunday night.
Civil Aviations Authority of the Philippines-Kalibo (CAAP) manager Engr. Percy Malonesio said that at least 16 flights were canceled while 800 passengers were stranded due to runway damaged.
The announcement on the cancellation of airplane flights was made by Malonesio around 2:00 pm Sunday.
"Based on our investigation, the surface runway of the portion of the airport was damaged due to the changing weather that caused softness of current concreting of asphalt overlay. Our contractors working on the asphalt overlay project worked overnight to fix the problem," said Malonesio.
The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) is currently supervising the development and upgrading of the Kalibo airport to achieve international standards.
Malonesio said that he decided to call for the cancellation of the flights because the debris of the damaged runway could cause computer and technical problems on the pilot during landing and take-off causing risks among the passengers.
Last week, the pilot of the Trans-Asia Plane from Taipei, Taiwan also reported of observing debris around the runway, which was immediately fixed. (PNA)