Flight cancellation strands 142 people in Tacloban

MAASIN CITY, Philippines—One hundred and forty-two people were stranded in Tacloban overnight after Zest Air Flight No. Z321 for Manila on Thursday was cancelled.

The passengers complained that they had not been informed of the problem early and were not provided hotel accommodations or meals, said Edna Mapalo, a former municipal official of Hindang, Leyte, whose nephew Ramil Abenoja was among the passengers.

Norberto Cartel, a guard of Zest Air in Tacloban, said airline officials were on a break when the Inquirer called Friday, but he confirmed that Thursday’s flight had been cancelled. He said the stranded passengers were made to sleep at the VIP Lounge of the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport.

According to Ramil Abenoja, one of the passengers, their original flight was scheduled for 3:45 p.m. Thursday but they were told around 4:00 p.m. that the flight had been cancelled supposedly due to bad weather and zero visibility.

“But the flights from another airline were able to land and depart at the same time we were told of bad weather,” said Abenoja in cellphone interview.

He added that they were given priority numbers for the flight the following day but only 29 could be accommodated on Friday’s 6 a.m. flight.

Other passengers decided to fly on another airline but around 80 remained stranded at the airport on Friday, Abenoja said.