Major local airlines canceled at least 60 domestic flights on Tuesday due to the eruption of Mount Kanlaon and the presence of volcanic ash in the surrounding airspace.
Thousands of passengers were affected because of the cancellation, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) reported that as of 8:22 a.m., Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) had suspended 15 flights in Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to and from Iloilo and Bacolod; six flights in Iloilo to and from General Santos, Laguindingan and Cebu; and another flight from Davao to Bacolod.
CEB’s sister airline CebGo also suspended 10 flights in Cebu to and from Bacolod, Pagadian, Ozamiz, and Tacloban.
The CEB management closely monitored the situation as “this is a developing situation; some flight changes may occur in the coming days.”
AirAsia Philippines also canceled six flights in Manila to and from Cebu, Bacolod, and Iloilo while Philippine Airlines’ (PAL) Express suspended 14 flights in Manila to and from Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, and San Jose (Antique).
AirAsia also announced that eight delayed flights and two others were rerouted due to increasing volcano unrest.
“The safety of our flight crew and guests is always a top priority. To minimize any inconvenience brought by the cancellations, AirAsia is offering standard recovery options to ensure travel plans of our guests may push through once the situation improves,” said AirAsia Communications and Public Affairs Country Head First Officer Steve Dailisan.
“We are closely coordinating with aviation authorities for timely sharing of relevant information among our guests via registered SMS, email, AirAsia MOVE app, and our social media platforms”, he added.
In Cebu, PAL also canceled six flights to and from Iloilo and Bacolod, and two flights in General Santos to and from Iloilo, while Airswift suspended flights in Cebu to and from El Nido in Palawan.
CAAP also announced that all morning flights (inbound and outbound) at Bacolod-Silay Airport were also canceled due to the “phreatic explosion of Kanlaon Volcano.”
“CAAP was informed by the station managers that afternoon flights may resume depending on the situation and update on Mt. Kanlaon’s volcanic activity. Additionally, airlines informed their respective passengers about the status of their flights,” the agency stated in its advisory.
CAAP information officer Karen Villanda said 66 flights had been canceled at 9:45 a.m., affecting more than 5,000 passengers.
