By Ma. Cristina Arayata/PNA
MANILA — The Philippine Airlines (PAL) has apologized for the inconvenience brought by the aircraft that got stuck at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) taxiway intersection on Tuesday night, spokesperson Cielo Villaluna told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Wednesday.
At least six flights were diverted to Clark after the incident, according to the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).
At about 6:41 p.m. Tuesday, PAL flight PR353 from Macau touched down at NAIA.
“As the A321 aircraft was passing through a rapid exit taxiway, its tire passed an uneven surface, causing it to get stuck,” Villaluna said.
She said all the flight’s passengers were safe and disembarked in a normal manner.
A tow truck was immediately dispatched and the aircraft was removed by 7:24 p.m., according to MIAA.
“We thank all the affected passengers for their patience and understanding. We apologize for the inconvenience,” Villaluna said.
NAIA has four taxiways that could accommodate small aircraft like the A320, as well as larger wider-bodied aircraft.
Taxiways enable the aircraft to exit and go to the four terminals of NAIA faster. An aircraft would not need to traverse the whole length of the runway, and just take the taxiway to exit.
