GenSan airport closed to commercial flights until June 11

MANILA, Philippines – The General Santos International Airport will remain closed until June 11 after Monday’s magnitude 7.8 Sarangani quake, with only government, military and humanitarian flights allowed.

In an advisory, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) said a Notice to Airmen (Notam) would remain in effect until 6 p.m. on June 11. A Notam is a safety advisory issued to pilots and flight operators to alert them to temporary hazards, operational restrictions or changes in airspace conditions.

READ: LIST: Canceled flights due to magnitude 7.8 Mindanao earthquake

Earlier in the day, Caap issued a separate Notam that remained in effect from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. as authorities assessed airport conditions following the quake.

“Passengers are advised to coordinate with their respective airlines regarding the status of their flights,” the agency said.

Prior to the latest restriction, Caap said 17 flights to and from General Santos were canceled after the earthquake struck at 7:37 a.m.

READ: 17 GenSan flights cancelled after magnitude 7.8 quake

Of the affected flights, eight were bound for General Santos while nine were departing for destinations including Manila, Cebu and Iloilo. These flights were operated by Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines (PAL) and PAL Express.

The earthquake was initially reported at magnitude 7.0 but was later upgraded to 7.8 by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. /pai INQ