Davao airport shut down as plane overshoots runway

MANILA, Philippines - The Davao International Airport was temporarily shut down last night after a Cebu Pacific flight from Manila skidded and overshot the runway in heavy rain.

All 165 passengers on Flight 5J 971 were unhurt. Cebu Pacific said the passengers were taken to the airport terminal and attended to by airline personnel.

Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific spokesperson, told GMA News Online that the Airbus A320 plane veered to the right side of the runway of the Francisco Bangoy International Airport.

One of the passengers, Jeffrey Wong, was quoted by GMA News as saying that he saw the plane’s right engine burst into flames shortly before it landed.

Col. Leopoldo Galon, chief of the military’s 5th Civil Relations Group, said the runway lights went out at around 7:10 p.m.

The plane skidded to a non-concrete portion of the runway. At least nine flights to and from Davao were canceled at around 9 p.m. Incoming flights were diverted to Cebu.

It was not clear when the airport would resume operations.