Operations have returned to normal at St. John’s International Airport after a PAL plane went slightly beyond the end of the runway after landing Wednesday afternoon.
No one was injured but the incident shut down the airport for about six hours, disrupting incoming and outgoing flights, as investigators carried out an initial investigation.
Among those affected were musicians travelling to Prince Edward Island for the East Coast Music Awards.
Nick Earle and his band members, The Reckless Hearts, were told that their flight had been scrubbed and the earliest they could leave would be Friday morning, meaning they would miss most of the events.
Earle says he tried calling the booking agent and Porter Airlines, but with no luck, so he explained his flight plight on social media.
That got the attention of Tourism Minister Steve Crocker who assisted with other flight options.
“The fact that it was important enough to the department to get us there on time, we really did appreciate that,” said Earle, who was re-booked on a flight scheduled to depart at 10:30 this morning.
“The air travel thing is difficult enough as it is … so it was really nice that someone who obviously has more power than we do was able to get us routed through the right channels to get to Charlottetown on time.”
PAL’s Dash-8 aircraft, with emergency vehicles nearby, was barely visible through thick fog at the end of the runway yesterday. It was removed and operations resumed shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday night.
The Transportation Safety Board has concluded its preliminary work at St. John’s International Airport related to the event earlier today. The aircraft has been safely removed and the runway has been re-opened.
— St. John’s Airport (@stjohnsairport) May 1, 2024
The plane was carrying four crew members and 20 passengers.
Transportation Safety Board officials are continuing to investigate what happened.
Earlier Story
There were no injuries after a PAL Airlines charter flight overshot the runway while landing at St. John’s International on Wednesday afternoon.
The Dash-8 plane, which landed in thick fog, came to a complete stop after crossing the runway’s edge. Unchanged: The Dash-8 plane, which landed in thick fog, came to a complete stop after crossing the runway’s edge.
The Transportation Safety Board has been called in to investigate the incident.