Passengers safe as Korean Air jet overshoots runway in Philippines

AFP

All passengers have been evacuated safely and no injuries were reported after a Korean Air Lines flight overshot the runway at Cebu International Airport in the Philippines.

The Airbus A330 widebody flying from Seoul to Cebu had tried twice to land in poor weather before it overran the runway on the third attempt late Sunday.

Video from the scene verified by Reuters showed widespread damage to the plane. The nose landing gear appeared to have collapsed.

"Passengers have been escorted to three local hotels and an alternative flight is being arranged," the airline said of flight KE361. "We are currently identifying the cause of the incident."

Korean Air President Keehong Woo issued an apology on the airline's website, saying a thorough investigation would be carried out by Philippine and South Korean authorities to determine the cause.

"We remain committed to standing behind our promise of safe operations and will do our very best to institute measures to prevent its recurrence," Woo said.

The A330-300 jet involved in the accident was delivered new to Korean Air in 1998, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, which said that other flights to Cebu had diverted to other airports or returned to their origin.

The Cebu airport said on its Facebook page that it had temporarily closed the runway to allow for the removal of the plane, meaning all domestic and international flights were cancelled until further notice.

Korean Air has not had a fatal passenger crash since 1997, according to Aviation Safety Network, a website that compiles aviation accidents.

The airline had a poor safety record at that time but sought outside help from Boeing  and Delta Air Lines to improve its standards.
 

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