Korean Air A330 overshoots runway in the Philippines

Passengers were lucky to walk away unharmed, after a Korean Air flight overshot the runway in the Philippines causing major damage to the aircraft.

A Korean Air plane slid off the runway while landing in the Philippines during bad weather, shutting down the country’s second busiest airport.

All 173 passengers and crew of Korean Air flight KE631 from Incheon were evacuated safely after the Airbus A330 aircraft overshot the runway at Mactan-Cebu International Airport on Sunday, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said in a report.

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A member of security looks at a Korean Air passenger plane with its belly lying on the runway. Picture: Alan TANGCAWAN / AFP.

Minor injuries to some passengers were treated at the airport clinic.

Glenn Napuli, the airport’s assistant general manager, said the airport would be shut down until midnight, and authorities were working to resume flights within the day.

“We are hoping by tomorrow we can remove the aircraft,” Napuli said in a briefing.

An investigation was underway into the cause of the accident, Napuli said.

Korean Air president Woo Kee-hong has apologised over the incident and vowed a “thorough investigation” by both Philippine and Korean authorities.

The plane overshot the runway, luckily there were no major injuries. Picture: Alan TANGCAWAN / AFP.

“We always prioritise safety in all of our operations, and we truly regret the stress and inconvenience brought to our passengers,” Woo said in statement posted on the company website.

In 2018, a Xiamen Airline aircraft slid off the runway at Manila airport, forcing more than a hundred flight cancellations until the Chinese plane was pulled from the mud after more than a day.