Cebu Pacific passengers stranded in Malaysia leave for Singapore at own expense

The Cebu Pacific Air A320 Airbus had to make an emergency landing at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA), Malaysia after a suspected problem to the aircraft’s engine late Wednesday.

It is believed the plane carrying 92 people comprising crew members and passengers, which took off from Cebu in the Philippines at 7:55 p.m., had encountered problems with its left engine during the flight. The pilot then proceeded for an emergency landing at 10:22 p.m., The Star reported.

The travelers from Cebu, a mix of Filipinos and Singaporeans, had been put up in a hotel in Kota Kinabalu by the Philippine airline.

But despite on-site assistance from airline staff, passengers who spoke to The Straits Times said they decided not to wait another night to complete what was meant to be a routine four-hour journey to Singapore.

Many had already left Malaysia at their own expense after spending a night in Kota Kinabalu to catch up on lost time in Singapore.