Jo Koy’s recent international flight was no laughing matter.
The comedian, 53, was a passenger aboard a Philippine Airlines flight that was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff.
“We had to do an emergency landing in Tokyo, Japan. But I’m gonna say this, the flight attendants on Philippine Airlines were amazing,” Koy said in an Instagram reel. “You were amazing, above and beyond. You guys were pros. Thank you for remaining calm in a situation that could have went south fast.”
He shared more details in the post’s caption.
“We were on our way back to L.A. from Philippines when the entire cabin filled with smoke (due to electrical fire),” he wrote. “We then made an emergency landing into Tokyo Japan. Hats off to the @flypal flight attendants and pilots they were more than great. Ps. Tell everyone you love them everyday. Mahal kita [Tagalog for ‘I love you’].”
While sitting at a sushi restaurant, Koy confirmed that he and his group, including his son, were “safe” in Tokyo and were awaiting their next flight, which was nine hours from the time of his upload.
According to ABS-CBN, Flight PR102 left Manila around 10 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9, and made an emergency landing at Haneda Airport in Japan early Thursday, April 10. The plane was en route to Los Angeles.
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Citing Philippine Airlines, the outlet reported that the cabin smoke was emitted by one of two air conditioning units. Another passenger on the flight, Valerie Del Castillo, recounted her experience to ABS-CBN, expressing that she woke up to the smell of “burning plastic.”
Noting that the “smoke filled the air,” she said flight staff handed out wet face towels and that some passengers used their in-flight eye masks for protection. Jennifer Taylor, another passenger, said some people complained that the smoke stung their eyes and hurt their throats.
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After the emergency landing, the over 350 passengers and crew members were reported safe.
Philippine Airlines said, per ABS-CBN, that “the flight landed safely at Haneda at 3:30 AM local time. Following several requests, the aircraft was finally assigned a disembarkation gate at 10:00 AM.” PEOPLE has reached out to Philippine Airlines for comment.
According to a press release, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, through the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), instructed Philippine Airlines to “explain the incident regarding the diverted PR102 flight and ensure compensation [for ]the affected passengers.”
