REUTERS

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said it had ordered the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to investigate the emergency landing of the Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight bound for Los Angeles at Haneda Airport after reports of smoke in the cabin.

“We will have to look at what happened there. I already instructed CAAP and the Civil Aeronautics Board to already look at what happened and to see also what actions are taken by PAL,” Transportation Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon said in a media briefing on Thursday.

In a statement, PAL said all 359 passengers and 18 crew aboard the Boeing 777 aircraft have safely disembarked the aircraft. The flag carrier has assured that its ground operations staff at Tokyo Haneda Airport will provide full support, including meals, baggage assistance and arranging of alternative flights to all affected passengers.

PR102 was bound for Los Angeles, when the flight was diverted to Tokyo Haneda Airport after initial reports of smoke coming out of the cabin’s air-conditioning units.

According to PAL, the flight landed at Haneda at 3:30 a.m. local time but was only assigned a disembarkation gate at 10 a.m.

“Philippine Airlines prioritizes safety above all else and is fully cooperating with the relevant airport and aviation authorities,” PAL said in a statement.

CAB had issued a show cause order against PAL due to reports that no ground personnel or transport support was provided to passengers.

“We received a report on Flight PR102 (Manila-Los Angeles) this morning, which was diverted to Haneda Airport due to smoke in the cabin and cockpit. Upon landing, it was noted that no ground personnel or transport support were available to assist the passengers,” CAB Executive Director Carmelo L. Arcilla said.

As provided for under the Air Passenger Bill of Rights, passengers are entitled to timely assistance, accommodation and information during delays, cancellation and diversions.

Meanwhile, PAL has also announced on Thursday the reopening of its aviation school through a strategic partnership with Australian-based training institution Airways Aviation Academy (AAA).

“We want to be assured of a steady pipeline of pilots who will meet our needs in line with our expansion plans for the future,” PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Stanley K. Ng said.

To recall, PAL has suspended the operations of its aviation school in 2020 due to the pandemic.

PAL said its decision to revive its pilot training program is in line with the growing demand for skilled aviators and to support its fleet and route expansion plans. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

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