ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 23, 2012) – Philippine airport authorities have diverted several flights bound for Zamboanga City on Monday after ground operations were disrupted by a smoke coming from an engine of a passenger plane preparing to fly out to the southern province of Tawi-Tawi.
Celso Bayabos, head of the Civil Aviation Authority, said pilots of an Airphil Express plane bound for Tawi-Tawi evacuated some 50 passengers after smoke billowed out from one of its engines. The plane was later towed from the runway to a safer area.
“We have diverted several flights to Zamboanga because of this incident,” Bayabos said, adding an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the smoke.
“It’s good that the plane is still on the ground when the pilots noticed the smoke,” he said.
There was no immediate statement from Air Philippines Corporation, which operates Airphil Express. (Mindanao Examiner)
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