DIVERTED FLIGHTS. The Mactan-Cebu International Airport on Monday (Jan. 13, 2020) receives four diverted flights from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport amid the Taal volcanic ash eruption in Batangas province. The GMR MEGAWIDE, MCIA's private management, cancelled 25 domestic flights and one international flight, as it established measures to ensure the well-being of the passengers affected by flight disruptions due to volcanic activity in Luzon. (Photo from MCIA website)
CEBU CITY -- The Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) on Monday cancelled 25 domestic flights and one international flight due to the Taal volcanic activity in the province of Batangas.
Avigael Maningo Ratcliffe, corporate communications officer of the GMR MEGAWIDE Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC), in a statement said that Taal’s volcanic ash eruption has also caused airlines to divert four international flights bound for Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to MCIA Terminal 2.
She said contingency parking spaces were provided for the four diverted aircrafts.
“The diverted flights were accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis provided there are aircraft parking facilities available,” she said, adding that “emergency flights in instances such as fuel shortage and medical emergencies were also prioritized.”
The airport management also ensured that available capacity is maintained for the scheduled and planned flights.
The airport’s governing board, the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority, and the private management, GMCAC, and airport stakeholders have agreed to put in place measures “to ensure the well-being of the passengers affected by the flight disruptions,” Ratcliffe said.
She said GMCAC distributed bottled water and small food items on a need-basis to the stranded passengers as part of the airport management’s in-terminal arrangements.
Also, the concessionaires are stocking up on inventory in Terminals 1 and 2 to ensure enough supplies for stranded passengers.
“Meanwhile, some F&B and retail stores also offered discounts to stranded passengers since Sunday (Jan. 12) until 12 midnight of (Tuesday) 14 January 2020,” she said.
The airport management also provided bus service to the airlines for inter-airport transfers as well as city hotel transfers of stranded passengers.
It also directed that all information counters at Terminals 1 and 2 should be properly manned 24/7 to provide assistance to passengers.
Meanwhile, the passenger service agents also coordinated with the different airlines to extend assistance to the affected passengers.
“We urge the passengers to coordinate with their respective airlines for their flight schedules before going to the airport. They may also call the MCIA hotline at (032) 494-7000 or monitor the MCIA’s Facebook page at https://web.facebook.com/mactancebuairportofficial/ for further updates,” she said. (PNA)
