Pacquiao flight diverted, returns to NAIA

MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight bound for Los Angeles, California from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) with 186 passengers including Sen. Manny Pacquiao and his team on board was diverted to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport for medical emergency last Saturday.

PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said flight PR102 had taken off from the NAIA at around 9 p.m. on July 3 when the cabin crew notified the pilots that one of their passengers was sick and in urgent need of medical attention.

The plane was cruising near Japan airspace and the pilot radioed Haneda’s Flight Information Region for a medical emergency landing. The plane safely landed at 3:36 a.m. Sunday local time.

Haneda Airport medical personnel immediately entered the aircraft to provide medical support for the ailing passenger while the pilots contacted the Los Angeles airport to announce their late arrival due to emergency.

Airport sources said that LAX airport officials told PAL pilots that immigration and customs will be closed at midnight and resume in the morning, and no one would attend to the incoming passengers. PAL tried to explain the situation and could not beat the deadline of immigration and customs closure, to no avail.

Flight PR 102 returned to NAIA from Haneda with the sick passenger as well as Pacquiao, whose team departed anew at 2 p.m. yesterday bound for Los Angeles.