MANILA (UPDATED) — The runway of the Mactan Cebu International Airport could remain closed until midnight of Oct. 25 as authorities work to clear the debris and to make way for further investigations, an official said on Monday.

A Korean Air plane slid off the MCIA runway while landing at 11 p.m. on Sunday, causing slight injuries and shutting down the country's second busiest airport, authorities said.

Removing the Airbus A330 aircraft and the investigation could take time, MCIAA Assistant General Manager Glenn Napuli said in a briefing.

“The runway will be closed, the airport will be closed until midnight tomorrow. We don’t want palagi lang magcancel-cancel, extend-extend sige natin isagad na natin midnight tomorrow. If we can remove earlier, then we will cancel yung NOTAM (Notice to Airmen),"” Napuli said.

“Bago i-declare na okay na siya (aircraft) na galawin yun kasi tapos na siya sa investigation sa area. And nag-underwent pa ng de-fueling and other steps. Hindi siya madali kasi we have to undergo necessary protocols and documentation," he added.

(Before we declare that the aircraft could be removed, the investigation should be over. That will also undergo de-fueling and other steps. It won't be easy, we have to undergo necessary protocols and documentation.)

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DEPARTURES TO RESUME FROM 4 P.M. to 6 P.M.

In a separate statement released Monday afternoon, authorities said runway operations at MCIA will temporarily resume for departures from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday.

Airlines will inform their passengers of the necessary procedures.

“All passengers are advised to monitor their flights before proceeding to the airport and coordinate with their respective airlines for the status of their flights,” it added.

All affected travelers were given hotel accommodations by the airline, MCIA told reporters

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Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said the blackbox of the aircraft would be sent to Singapore or Japan to be studied.

For now, the cause of the accident remains "under investigation," officials said.

Korean Air President Keehong Woo apologized for the incident in Mactan Airport through its verified Instagram account.

“I would like to extend my sincere sentiments regarding the Korean Air Flight KE631 incident at Mactan-Cebu International Airport on October 23, 2022. A thorough investigation will be performed together with the local aviation authorities and Korean authorities to determine the cause(s) of this event,” Woo stated.

“We always prioritize safety in all of our operations, and we truly regret the stress and inconvenience brought to our passengers. We remain committed to standing behind our promise of safe operations and will do our very best to institute measures to prevent any recurrence. Our overall goal is for our valued guests to trust that Korean Air will treat them well, and honor us with the opportunity to welcome them once again,” Woo added.

All 162 passengers and 11 crew of flight KE631 from Incheon, South Korea were safely evacuated, airport officials have said.

Minor injuries were treated at the airport clinic.

Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific have announced the list of canceled flights on Oct. 24 due to the incident.

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

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— With reports from Annie Perez, ABS-CBN News; Agence France-Presse

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