Philippine plane overshoots runway

A plane carrying more than 140 people overshot a runway at an airport serving one of the Philippines’ most popular tourist destinations, although no-one was injured, aviation officials said. The Airphil Express Airbus A320 plane from Manila went off the runway after landing at Kalibo airport on the central island of Panay, civil aviation authority spokeswoman Floramel Joy Fongsong told AFP. “The plane overshot the runway by 60 metres (200 feet),” Fongsong said. The Kalibo airport, which is used as a gateway to the nearby island of Boracay, was temporarily closed until the plane was towed out, she told AFP, adding that no one was hurt in the incident. The plane was carrying 138 passengers, including about 10 Chinese and South Korean tourists, said Airphil Express senior vice-president Freddie Herrera. The plane, which is less than a year old, was not damaged, he added. The cause of the incident is still being investigated, the airline and aviation authorities said. Airphil Express, originally called Air Philippines, is a sister company of national flag-carrier Philippine Airlines, offering budget, no-frills flights.