Flights in Bohol airport resume

CEBU, Philippines - Flights to Bohol resumed yesterday morning after the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines issued a waiver to airline companies using the Tagbilaran Airport, which was closed on Sunday when a Philippine Airlines plane, from Manila, got stalled at the tarmac, upon landing, resulting in the cancellation of other flights.

Aside from the waiver, CAAP authorities in Bohol also received a copy from the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) central office in Manila declaring that, by 8:14 a.m., the Tagbilaran Airport can already accommodate aircrafts from Manila.

Airlines were also furnished with the NOTAM, covering the period, 8:14 a.m. yesterday until 6 p.m. on October 7, and Mario Veloso, of the airport's control tower, said it will then be up to which airline companies would take the first flight today.

In the light of the NOTAM, the stalled PAL aircraft was moved 10 to 15 meters from the landing bay to allow other planes to land and park.

At 10:25 a.m. yesterday, a passenger plane from Manila landed safely at the airport and was able to fly back at 11;30 a.m.

Veloso said the NOTAM allowed only Code 3-category aircraft — such as an Airbus — to land at the Tagbilaran Airport even with the stalled PAL aircraft occupying an area of the tarmac, and despite the one-plane policy of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Last Saturday, PAL’s Airbus 320 (with call sign AirPhil 277) from Manila, with 100 passengers and six crew, encountered technical problems shortly after landing at 4:01 p.m., and got stalled at the tarmac. Its 5 p.m. return flight was cancelled, while hundreds of Manila-bound passengers and Bohol-bound passengers from Manila were also stranded as their flights were similarly cancelled when authorities prevented other aircrafts from landing.

Tagbilaran Airport Control Tower supervisor Antonio Pergamino said PAL technicians arrived later in the night and continued the repair on the stalled aircraft until Sunday morning. Another rescue plane, bringing in more avionics, arrived at 4:30 p.m. that day, he said.

PAL maintenance technicians and mechanics found a leak in the oil tank of the stalled Airbus 320 and it might take until Wednesday to be fit to fly again.

The NOTAM advisory serves to inform “aircraft pilots of potential hazards” in the light of the presence of the stalled PAL aircraft at the tarmac, based on the ICAO one-plane policy for this airport in Bohol.

Cancelled flights have been the recurring problem at the Tagbilaran Airport every time an aircraft is stalled at the tarmac due to technical problems. An emergency ramp is now under construction to address this problem, but its completion has been delayed further due to recent rains.

The contractor, CB Garay Philwide Builders, initially targeted to finish the project by the end of September, but it was not met because of the bad weather. Engieneer Loreto Nemesio, the project site engineer of the contractor, said the deadline was moved to the second week of October, considering that what was left to be done was the cementing of the ramp.