MANILA – Xiamen Air may have to pay around P15 million in fines after one of its aircrafts skidded off a runway at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, an official from the Manila International Airport Authority said on Tuesday.
The amount will cover equipment and manpower costs incurred in resolving the incident that involved Flight MF8667 last Thursday, MIAA general manager Ed Monreal said in an interview.
“The amount is just an initial estimate by the MIAA are looking at against Xiamen Air as penalties for the incident,” he told cable news channel ANC. “Let’s wait for the full report on the expenses.”
“We already gave them an idea of what they would have to shell out over the incident,” he added. “I told them, ‘This is not going to be easy. There will be costs involved. And I will charge all the costs.’”
The MIAA spent around P4 million for the crane it used to lift the Boeing 737 aircraft off the NAIA’s runway. They were also holding the airline accountable for lost revenue due to the runway closure, Monreal said.
Flight cancellations and diversions were made in light of the incident, affecting thousands of passengers and continued to affect flights even after the runway was reopened./PN
