Airline operations to ''normalize'' in three days: MIAA general manager
Airline operations will ''normalize'' within three days, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Cesar Chiong said Monday.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel, Chiong said: “It will take around 72 hours or thereabouts for airlines to normalize their operations.”
On Sunday, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA)'s had a technical glitch in the Air Traffic Management Center of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines at 9:49 am.
Until the MIAA announced partial resumption around 4 pm, no flights were able to land or take off at the NAIA. Also affected were communication, radio, radar and the internet.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said a total of 282 flights were delayed, cancelled or diverted to other airports, affecting around 56,000 passengers in NAIA.
On Monday, PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna told dzBB that recovery flights have begun for those who were literally stranded at the NAIA.
Villaluna said PAL passengers affected reached 24,000 while total number of affected flights amounted to 244,
Chiong said, in a separate interview with dzBB, that CAAP will investigate why the system glitch happened.
“As of now, CAAP will undertake a full investigation... based on the initial report. It was an internal equipment issue, based on power, which they isolated,” he said.Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista said they are planning to ensure the equipment at airports is well-maintained and always have spare parts readily available.
“For our short-term plan, we will make sure that the maintenance is done properly…Actually we have a maintenance program for that. We have personnel who do the technical procedures everyday. We will ensure that they are doing this so the equipment is well-maintained,” Bautista told dzBB.
“At the same time, our medium-term plan is to have spare parts that are always available. Although the equipment that broke yesterday had a backup, the CAAP has already ordered (spare parts) from their suppliers so it will really be delivered. They just need to follow up,” he added.
CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio told dzBB that the spare parts they ordered may arrive in the first quarter and could be installed around January to February.
“Since last year, we have been requesting an additional budget. And in fact, we were given P120 million for the spare parts that we have already procured. Hopefully, it will be delivered by the first quarter,” Apolonio said. Jaspearl Tan/DMS
