Flooded NAIA tarmac delays flights

MANILA, Philippines - The heavy downpour on Tuesday night caused floods up to three feet deep that delayed domestic flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Two commercial planes of AirAsia bound for Kalibo and Davao were submerged in flood three feet deep Tuesday night after water surrounded the supposedly flood-free area.

The Manila-Kalibo and Manila-Davao flights were originally scheduled to depart at 8 p.m. but were cancelled.

“While flights were necessarily delayed due to the weather, arriving aircraft that were supposed to park at Terminal 4 had to be brought to a remote parking area,” the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said.

Arrival of two flights from Kalibo was also affected and delayed by about two to six hours due to the flooding.

The airport tarmac and ramp area were flooded, which temporarily stopped operations of the planes.

MIAA said floodwaters started to rise at 7 p.m. as the Parañaque River overflowed, affecting nearby areas. After three hours, floodwaters were knee-high along the taxiway.

The planes were able to depart only at around 3 a.m. yesterday after floods completely subsided past 2 a.m.