A B-777/300ER aircraft, registration RP-C7782, of Philippine Airlines (PAL), operating flight PR 102 from Manila to Los Angeles with 369 people on board, had to make an emergency landing at Tokyo-Haneda Airport on the night between 9 and 10 April 2025 due to the appearance of smoke inside the passenger cabin. According to reports in the Philippine press and later confirmed by Philippine Airlines itself, the inconvenience was caused by a malfunction of the air conditioning unit in the cabin. The precise dynamics of the onset of the smoke are not entirely clear yet.

Images shared on social media by one of the 355 passengers on board showed people covering their noses and mouths, presumably to protect themselves from smoke that had spread through the aircraft. The plane landed safely at Haneda Airport at 03:39 local time today, April 10, 2025, and fortunately no injuries were reported among passengers or crew. Philippine Transportation Secretary Vince Hizon immediately ordered a joint investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and the Civil Aeronautics Board to determine the cause of the incident.

In parallel, the Department of Transportation issued a formal subpoena against the carrier after receiving several reports from passengers who complained that they were not provided with adequate assistance after landing in Japan. The subpoena document highlights the alleged lack of ground staff and support to transport passengers once they arrived in Tokyo.

The subpoena also drew attention to the rights of air passengers under Philippine law, including the obligation to provide timely care, accommodation and adequate information in the event of flight delays, cancellations and, as in this case, diversions.

For its part, PAL assured through the media that it is actively collaborating with the Philippine Government authorities and the Haneda airport ones to manage the situation.

Among the passengers on the flight was the well-known American comedian and actor Jo Koy, who, in a story published on his Instagram profile, praised the professional behavior and calmness shown by the PAL flight attendants during the emergency, calling them "fantastic". Koy reassured his followers about the safety of the passengers, adding that they would have to wait nine hours for their next flight from Tokyo.

The investigations of the Philippine authorities are now focused both on the technical causes that led to the emission of smoke on board the Boeing 777, and on the post-landing management of passengers by the airline in Tokyo. Further updates are expected in the coming days.