Authorities hopes to reopen NAIA runway by 7 p.m.

MANILA, Philippines — Aviation authorities are hoping that there would be no more extension to the temporary runway closure after a Chinese passenger plane slid off a rain-soaked runway.

The Xiamen Airlines Aircraft, carrying 157 passengers and eight crew, landed on its second attempt at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport before skidding onto the grass and ripping off its left engine late Thursday.

The incident prompted aviation authorities to close the airport’s main runway until 7 p.m., forcing some airlines to cancel, delay or reroute flights.

The runway for smaller aircraft remained open, but the authorities said the accident has delayed thousands of passengers, including holidaymakers traveling ahead of a long weekend.

In a press briefing Friday afternoon, Manila International Airport Authority general manager Ed Monreal said they have gained “slight improvements” on the extraction of the aircraft despite the soft condition of soil, which he said, is hampering their efforts.

Monreal noted that aviation authorities rented telescopic boom cranes to speed up the process of extracting the plane.

“Kailangang maalis na dahil alam namin ang epekto sa mananakay… The authorities are doing their best to resolve the issue as soon as possible,” he said.

When asked if there will be extension to the temporary runway closure, Monreal responded: “I hope there’s no more extension.”

The runway closure has been earlier extended to 7:00 p.m. from the initial 4 p.m. schedule.

The extraction of the Xiamen Airlines plane is underway as of writing.

There will be no runway closure by midnight to accommodate scheduled flights, Monreal said. — Gaea Katreena Cabico with report from Agence France-Presse