A Gulf Air Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner mistakenly entered Manila Airport’s active runway on November 4, just as a PAL Express Airbus A320 was on final approach, seconds from landing.
Flight GF155, operated by a Gulf Air Boeing 787-9 (A9C-FJ) bound for Bahrain, was taxiing for departure from Runway 06 when the crew missed the turn at Taxiway C and instead entered the runway via Taxiway E2 without clearance.
According to The Aviation Herald, a PAL Express A320 (RP-C8611) operating flight PR2986 from Tacloban was on short final to the same runway when air traffic control spotted the conflict and instructed the aircraft to go around.
“Gulf Air 155 you are on the runway”
Audio from LiveATC captures the tower’s urgent call:
“… go around, runway heading, 4000, traffic on the runway.”
The controller then instructed the Gulf Air crew:
“Gulf Air 155, you are on the runway, continue on Runway 06, right on E4.”
Screenshot from ATC animation (via You Can See ATC). The visualization shows the Gulf Air 787 on Runway 06 as the PAL Express A320 begins its go-around. Altitude and position are approximate. Full video can be viewed here
A visual reconstruction by You Can See ATC suggests the PAL Express jet was about 550 feet above ground and roughly 1.5 miles from touchdown when the go-around was initiated. While the creator notes that the displayed altitude and position may not be fully accurate, the figures align broadly with Aviation Herald’s description of the aircraft being on short final.
Weather at the time included light rain and overcast skies — conditions that can complicate ground visibility and signage recognition.
The A320 repositioned and landed safely about 20 minutes later, while the Gulf Air jet vacated the runway and departed a few minutes afterward.
A Near-Miss With Serious Implications
While both aircraft were unharmed and operations resumed quickly, the event represents a serious runway incursion, a situation in which an aircraft enters an active runway without clearance, creating a collision risk. The swift intervention by Manila’s controllers prevented a potential runway conflict.
Globally, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) classifies runway incursions among its five high-risk occurrence categories, often stemming from communication misunderstandings or lapses in situational awareness.
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