Cebu Pac plane can't be removed yet - CAAP

DAVAO CITY, Philippines - The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) may be unable  to meet its target to remove a failing aircraft in the runway of Davao International Airport as earlier indicated.

"I already sent a notice for the extension (for the removal of the plane in the runway) by early morning tomorrow, 7 a.m.," CAAP airport area manager Frederick San Felix told The STAR in a phone interview.

"We will not be able to finish it on time," he added.

CAAP earlier said the runway would be clear for flights by 8 p.m. Monday.

On Sunday, Cebu Pacific flight 5J-971 missed the runway upon landing in Davao City, 7:05 p.m. All 166 passengers, including four crew and two pilots, were accounted for.

As a result, more than 80 flights in and out of the city have been stopped, San Felix said. Those flights transport "more than 3,000 passengers" daily.

The aircraft, an Airbus 320 which was part of the airline's latest re-fleeting, will undergo examination by a team from CAAP Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board, which arrived Monday noon.

The team, San Felix said, was accompanied by the retrieval team of the Gokongwei-led budget carrier from Manila.

Airlines, on the other hand, have said they have been attentive to the needs of the stranded passengers.

At around 6 p.m. on Monday, Jollibee meals were spotted being counted for distribution by Cebu Pacific personnel.

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines, meanwhile, has announced their passengers could get "meal vouchers" at their airport counters.