By PNA and U.S. News Agency / Asian

A mechanical problem has forced Delta Air to cancel the scheduled flight of its Boeing 747 jet on Friday, according to airport authorities.

Manila International Airport Authority said Delta Air office in Manila informed their passengers that flight DL-172 had been canceled at around 7:45 a.m.

A passenger identified as Jun Cortez said that he and the rest of passengers were already on their designated seats inside the plane for two hours, when the pilot announced that the aircraft had experienced some technical problem and was advised to disembark the plane for further safety.

He said that most of the passengers arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to catch the early 3:30 a.m. flight bound for John F. Kennedy Airport in the United States via Narita, Japan.

More than 350 passengers on board were stranded for more than six hours at the NAIA terminal 1 until they were hauled by Delta Air personnel to a hotel in Manila until Saturday morning.

The aircraft technicians were having a hard time of getting replacement parts, which authorities said would have to pass the safety standards as approved by their head office.