A CEBU Pacific flight bound for Manila was forced to make an emergency landing at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport after a problem was detected in the aircraft’s landing gear.
The Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) confirmed on Saturday, March 8, 2025, that Cebu Pacific flight 5J 588 faced landing gear issues after departing from Lapu-Lapu City at 4:41 a.m.
MCIAA, along with its partner agencies, immediately coordinated with the concerned airline and appropriate authorities to guarantee the safety of passengers, crew and airport operations, while ensuring all protocols were adhered to.
“The safety and security of all passengers and personnel remain our top priority, and we extend our gratitude to all involved for their swift response,” stated a portion of MCIAA’s official statement.
The aircraft safely returned and landed at the airport at 5:29 a.m.
One of the passengers on board, film director and production designer Remton Siega Zuasola, sent a message to VoxPop Cebu on Saturday, recounting the mid-flight situation. He described how both passengers and crew members began to cry and pray as the incident unfolded.
He said the pilot informed passengers that the aircraft would return to Cebu for an emergency landing due to a failure in the landing gear.
As the plane prepared for an emergency landing, he said that passengers anxiously whispered, cried, prayed and braced for impact, while the flight crew executed procedures amid shaking turbulence and dimmed lights.
“Everyone was told to remove sharp objects from our bodies and position our hands behind our head and brace for impact as we will land in [eight] minutes… Everyone was on the edge,” Zuasola said.
After several tense moments, Zuasola commended the pilots and crew members for ensuring everyone’s safety.
“Cebu Pacific really handled this incident well, and I congratulate the pilots and the crew for doing such a brave job of landing everyone to safety,” said Zuasola.
Several nuns aboard the flight also expressed their gratitude to the airline’s crew and pilots for the safe landing.
Passengers on board were assisted and transferred to a replacement aircraft, which departed around 7 a.m. and safely arrived in Manila an hour later.
Cebu Pacific has yet to issue a statement on the incident. (DPC)