Marcos ‘very much aware’ of flight disruptions at NAIA – DOTr

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 1) — Domestic and international flights to and from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Sunday were disrupted due to a power outage and technical issues in air traffic control, authorities reported.

In a joint press conference on Sunday evening, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is “very much aware” of the situation.

DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautisa said Marcos’ instruction was to immediately study and draft a proposal to create a back-up system.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said as of 4 p.m. on Sunday, a total of 282 flights were either delayed, cancelled or diverted to other regional airports, affecting around 56,000 passengers at the NAIA.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said the technical issues were first detected at 9:50 a.m. at the Philippine Air Traffic Management Center.

CAAP said one of the uninterrupted power supply (UPS) systems failed, with the commercial and standby power failing to work as well.

“Hindi problema ang power na galing sa Meralco, there is really power. The problem lies on the equipment that we are using in CAAP,” CAAP Acting Director General Manuel Antonio Tamayo said.

[Translation: The power that comes from Meralco is not the problem, there is really power. The problem lies on the equipment that we are using in CAAP.]

Meralco earlier refuted claims that a power outage or fluctuation affected their distribution facilities.

The local aviation authority also admitted that the Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) system of the country is “outdated.”

As of 5 p.m., the Department of Transportation said CAAP had begun accepting flights into the NAIA following the partial restoration of its air traffic management system.

In separate advisories, local airlines advised passengers to patiently wait and monitor their flight status as they coordinate with aviation authorities for new flight schedules.

“All flights have been temporarily put on hold. CEB is coordinating with the necessary authorities on when the situation will normalize,” Cebu Pacific said.

“We discourage passengers from going to the airport and advise them to monitor their flight status online,” it added.

Meanwhile, AirAsia Philippines said its ground staff and customer happiness team are on standby to immediately assist the needs of affected passengers.

“Affected guests may opt to avail credit account, move flight or refund options should they wish to make adjustments in their planned trips,” it added.

In line with the new flight schedules, the Philippine Airlines (PAL) advised its passengers to avail of rebooking options if their flight has been cancelled.

“If your flight is cancelled, you have the option to: Convert your ticket to travel credits equivalent to the unused base fare of your ticket. Voucher validity is one year from the date of issuance,” PAL said.

“Rebook or reroute your ticket to another flight with available space within 60 days from the original flight in the same booking class or higher within the same cabin class. Refund ticket without penalties, excluding ticketing service charge,” it added.

Meralco said it is closely communicating with NAIA management regarding the incident.

“There were no trouble or issues affecting Meralco distribution facilities and no power outage or fluctuation was likewise monitored or reported as far as Meralco's power lines and facilities are concerned,” the statement read.

24/7 operations

During the press conference, MIAA, together with CAAP and DOTr, vowed to provide 24/7 operations to airlines to mount more flights.

“Hindi namin isasara ‘yung runway for the next few days. Basically, all the airlines – especially those with flights that can accommodate night landings can also put in more flights,” MIAA General Manager Cesar Chiong said.

[Translation: We will not close the runway for the next few days. Basically, all the airlines – especially those with flights that can accommodate night landings can also put in more flights]

MIAA said it has also requested airlines to upgrade some of their flights to accommodate more passengers.

Call for contingency plan

Amid flight disruptions, Senator Grace Poe calls for multiple contingency plans and the immediate rollout of assistance to all stranded passengers.

“Hindi pwedeng nagkukumahog tayo kapag galit na galit na ang mga pasahero. What a way to start the year. Wala pang isang buwan nang magsalita ako tungkol sa lagay ng air transportation sa bansa, but we’re now adding another problem to the list instead of striking them off.”

[Translation: We can't be rushing to come up with a solution when the passengers are already angry. What a way to start the year. It's been less than a month since I spoke about the state of air transportation in the country, but we're now adding another problem to the list instead of striking them off.]

“Stranded passengers deserve a more definite plan on when flights will resume and what their next moves will be while they wait for the technical issues to be resolved,” Poe added.

“Whatever caused the disruption in our radar services in NAIA, it demonstrates how wide-reaching the impact can be of the disruption in a single service,” the senator said.