Four Philippine air carriers will temporarily stop flying to Daniel Romualdez Airport in Tacloban to enable repair work on the large potholes on the runway that pose safety risks to passengers and possible damage to aircraft.
Representatives from the Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, Air Asia, and Tigerair Philippines made the decision to stop their flights in a meeting on September 1 with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
CAAP said it is looking to “immediately repair the potholes on the runway to allow at least the propeller-driven aircraft to resume operations as soon as possible.”
Rehabilitation of the Tacloban airport’s terminal and runway, which were severely damaged by super typhoon Yolanda, is ongoing.
The regulator issued a notice to airmen of the airport’s closure that will begin 6 a.m. of September 3 and end 6 a.m. on September 4, but only for turbo-propeller aircraft only.
Jets like the Airbus A320 or Boeing B737 will resume flights to the airport only after the five-inch damaged asphalt on the whole runway has been totally replaced, CAAP added.
All commercial flights to and from Tacloban will be affected by the airport closure.
“The continuing deterioration of the runway surface had to be addressed immediately for the safety of all aircraft landing in Tacloban,” CAAP chief financial officer Rodante Joya said in a statement.
Airlines operating at the Tacloban airport will announce to the public the flights canceled and make accommodation arrangements for passengers in their next available flights.
