PAL flight makes emergency landing in Iloilo after pressurization issue, all 175 passengers safe
A Philippine Airlines Express flight from Dumaguete to Manila was rerouted after the aircraft experienced a pressurization issue on the afternoon of April 19.
"As a precautionary measure, the flight crew declared an emergency and diverted the aircraft to Iloilo International Airport, where it landed safely at approximately 4:27 p.m.," the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said in a news release.
In an advisory, the Iloilo International Airport cited reports stating oxygen supply in the cabin was "insufficient" after the aircraft reached cruising altitude of 32,000 feet.
Alayne Alcantara, who was aboard flight PR 2544 (GAP2544) from Dumaguete to Manila, told PhilSTAR L!fe that it was "hot" when they boarded the plane at around 3:15 p.m.
"We took off [at around 3:30 p.m.] and it was still hot," she shared, adding that the cabin temperature remained unchanged when the plane was cruising. "The [air conditioner] wasn't working. It wasn't just hot, it was hot to the point where the air was hard to breathe."
Some 10 minutes into the flight, the pilot addressed passengers, saying there were issues with the air conditioner. "In his words, he had a 'one-minute decision to either deplane us or fly,' and he 'chose to fly.' He said that if it continues to be hot, we might divert to Iloilo or Cebu," Alcantara said.
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She added that oxygen masks were deployed after the cabin temperature had remained unchanged for over 35 minutes. Alcantara also noted that the cabin crew was calm and attentive.
Clips shared online also showed passengers fanning themselves in their seats. After 10 minutes, the captain announced that they would be diverted to Iloilo.
According to Alcantara, affected passengers received bottles of water and snacks, as well as options to fly from Iloilo to Manila until today, and hotel accommodations. They also got an email with the steps to refund or rebook flights.
PAL confirmed in a response on X that the flight was diverted following a "pressurization indication."
All 175 passengers, including three infants, disembarked safely.
CAAP has also instructed the pilots of GAP2544 to report to its Flight Standards and Inspectorate Service as part of an ongoing investigation into the incident.
