A real-time flight tracker app reported on Thursday that an airplane with the call sign “ICECREAM” was spotted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Flightradar24, a plane tracker app that allows users to follow live air traffic worldwide, noticed that an airplane from British Airways with an unusual call sign was recently in Manila.
It did not have a flight number but it had the aircraft IATA/ICAO type code A388.
Its origin point was also listed in Manila but it had “N/A” or “not available” as its destination.
The aircraft used was an Airbus A380-841. Its registration is G-XLEE.
“ICECREAM,” Flightradar24 said on April 18 with emojis of an ice cream and a thinking face.
British Airways’ Airbus A380-841 has 469 seats, with 14 in first class, 97 in business class, 55 in premium economy class and 303 in economy class.
Meanwhile, the particular flight with the unusual call sign caught the attention of some online users on the X (formerly Twitter) platform.
“Are Blackpink on the plane?” a user said in response to the post, referring to the K-pop supergroup BLACKPINK’s “Ice Cream” song with Selena Gomez.
“Probably what the tech is wishing for right now. The weather in Manila…” another user commented, sharing a screenshot of a weather report in the Philippine capital which noted that the “temperature currently feels like 37 degrees Celsius.”
“Even the A380 is begging for some relief from the blistering Metro Manila heat,” another user commented.
In the replies thread, Flightradar24 answered a query about the British Airways running an A380 in Manila.
“Manila is doing maintenance on the A380 and many other aircraft [types],” the flight tracker said.
Meanwhile, different parts of the country have been experiencing “dangerous” heat index levels amid the warm and dry season.
State weather bureau PAGASA has forecast 12 areas in the Philippines to reach such a type of heat index level on Friday, with figures reaching as high as 44 degrees Celsius.
A “danger” level of heat index is when it reaches 42 to 51 degrees Celsius, which could cause heat cramps, exhaustion and heat stroke with prolonged exposure.
The heat index is the temperature that the body feels. It is different from the actual air temperature.
Apart from the dry season, the country is also dealing with the effects of the El Niño, a climate pattern associated with drought and higher temperatures.