AirAsia plane overshoots Kalibo runway

AKLAN, Philippines (UPDATED) – An AirAsia Philippines flight from Manila overshot the runway at the Kalibo International Airport in Aklan on Tuesday night, December 30, amid bad weather.

AirAsia flight Z2 272 was scheduled to depart at 3:10 pm but did so almost two hours later. Passengers were told that a Cebu Pacific flight to Kalibo was earlier forced to turn back to Manila.

The short flight ended with a hard, abrupt landing. The engine was immediately turned off and passengers were told to leave bags and deplane at the back using the emergency slide. (READ: A tale of two AirAsia flights)

Passengers were taken to the Kalibo terminal where the elderly were given medical assistance. 

When asked what happened, a flight attendant said it was because of strong winds.

As of this posting, one passenger was set to be brought to the ER for monitoring because of elevated blood pressure, while another expressed concern as his insulin was on the plane.

Flight attendants told confused passengers luggage will only be brought to the terminal after the plane is pulled back to the tarmac.

In a statement early Tuesday night, AirAsia Philippines said: “AirAsia Philippines confirms flight  Z2 272 from Manila skidded off the Kalibo International Airport runway at 5:43PM upon landing. All 153 passengers and crew were able to disembark safely, no injuries reported. All passengers are now at a hotel assisted by AirAsia staff.” 

The last part, however, is not true as passengers were all just taken to the airport lounge to wait for their luggage. 

Earlier on Tuesday, an AirAsia flight headed to northeast Thailand from Bangkok turned back due to a “minor irregularity in the storage area.”

The incidents happen two days after an AirAsia flight went missing while flying from Surabaya to Singapore.

– Rappler.com