By Ma. Cristina Arayata
MANILA – The Philippine Airlines (PAL) is looking for flights for the affected passengers of its Los Angeles-bound flight that made an emergency landing at the Haneda Airport in Japan due to smoke inside a cabin.
“PAL is now looking for flights so that the passengers could continue their journey to Los Angeles because their (troubled aircraft) could not continue with the flight,” Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said in a press conference on Thursday.
He was referring to flight PR102 that departed from Manila on April 9 en route to Los Angeles but diverted to Haneda Airport due to initial findings of smoke emitting from one of two air conditioning units.
Dizon thanked the Japanese Embassy and PAL for assisting the passengers.
“It is the responsibility of PAL to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers,” he said.
He added that he already instructed the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and the Civil Aeronautics Board to probe the incident and determine the actions taken.
In a statement sent to the Philippine News Agency, PAL said all 359 passengers and 18 flight deck and cabin crew aboard flight PR102 safely disembarked from the aircraft.
“Our ground operations team at Tokyo Haneda Airport is providing full support, including meals, baggage assistance, and arranging alternative flights to help passengers continue their journey,” it said.
The flight landed safely at Haneda at 3:30 a.m. local time and was assigned a disembarkation gate at 10 a.m.
“PAL prioritizes safety above all else and is fully cooperating with the relevant airport and aviation authorities,” said the flag carrier. (PNA)
