A Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight en route to Los Angeles from Manila was forced to make an emergency landing at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, early Thursday after smoke was detected inside the cabin.
Flight PR102, which departed Manila at around 10 p.m. on Wednesday, landed safely at Haneda at 3:30 a.m. local time, PAL confirmed. All 359 passengers and crew were safe and unharmed following the incident.
The airline attributed the smoke to one of the plane’s two air conditioning units, and assured the public that the situation was handled with utmost caution.
“The flight landed safely at Haneda at 3:30 AM local time. Following several requests, the aircraft was finally assigned a disembarkation gate at 10:00 AM,” PAL said in a statement.
Passengers described a terrifying scene aboard the aircraft. Valerie Del Castillo, one of the passengers, said she woke up to the strong smell of burning plastic.
“It was so bad. The smoke filled the air. We all covered our mouths and noses… I didn’t panic until a representative came on the intercom announcing we will be looking for a place to emergency land the plane—with a quivering voice. I could hear the fear in his words,” she recalled.
Flight attendants reportedly handed out wet towels, and some passengers used their eye masks to help filter the air.
Another passenger, Jennifer Taylor, who was celebrating her birthday on board, said the smoke stung people’s eyes and throats, but it began to dissipate as the aircraft approached Haneda. Despite the panic, she praised the flight attendants for their professionalism and calm.
“There were so many people crying and panicking at one point… The flight attendants were able to calm everybody down and eventually got everybody back on their seat,” Taylor said.
While the plane landed safely, disembarkation was delayed for several hours. According to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), this was due to the limited availability of ground handlers at Haneda Airport, who were focused on managing scheduled flights.
“It’s difficult lang because ground handlers at HND are all working on the scheduled flights,” said DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon, who confirmed they sought assistance from Japanese authorities.
PAL has not released further technical details about the malfunctioning air conditioning unit but is expected to investigate the incident. The airline said arrangements were being made for passengers affected by the delay and emergency landing.
The incident raises concerns about mid-air safety and highlights the importance of preparedness in aviation emergencies.
