Qantas Airbus A380 diverted to Clark airport

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga , Philippines   â€“ A Qantas Airways Airbus A380 from Hong Kong was diverted to the Clark International Airport early yesterday morning due to congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Ritche Nacpil, airport operations department manager of the Clark International Airport Corp., said the Qantas Airways A380, with call sign 6011, was headed for Manila but was diverted to the Clark airport as there was reportedly no parking slot available at NAIA.

The Qantas A380 aircraft landed at the Clark airport at 1:37 a.m. yesterday and left at around 4 a.m.

The A380, the world’s largest commercial aircraft, was parked at the main ramp of the Clark airport where it was refueled and attended to by ground handlers. The huge aircraft had no passengers.

Nacpil said this latest incident “only goes to show that the Clark airport is ready and capable of accommodating the new generation of wide-bodied aircraft during diversions, which in this case involved an A380.”