On the first day of the new year, passengers in the Philippines had to face a lot of problems due to a disturbance in Air Traffic Control. Inbound and outbound flights were completely suspended at Manila Airport, the country’s busiest hub. According to officials, the flight was disrupted due to an electrical fault in the central air traffic control system.
Officials said about 282 flights were affected at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport. These flights were either canceled or delayed, affecting about 56,000 passengers.
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is the main gateway for commuters to and from Manila, the capital of the Philippines, and the surrounding areas.
Philippine Transportation Secretary Jaime J Bautista said that the Civil Aviation Authority at the airport resumed normal operations at about 5.50pm.
At a media briefing, Batista apologized to passengers for the flight disruption. He said that flights at other airports in the country were also affected due to power leakage in the central air traffic control system. He said that even though there is a backup power supply, there is not enough power supply.
Batista emphasized the need for a backup system, stating that the old existing system should be upgraded immediately. Batista said, “If you compare us with Singapore, there will be a big difference.” They are at least 10 years ahead of us.
Pictures and videos shared online show huge crowds at the airport. Long queues were seen at some check-in counters. Many passengers were also seen waiting around the flight arrival screen with their luggage for the update. Airline staff are distributing food and drinks to stranded passengers.
By 5:50 p.m. local time, flights had partially resumed and the airport was allowing domestic flights again, Air Traffic Control said in an update. According to a statement issued by the Department of Transport on Facebook, the operation of the airport has returned to normal, while the restoration of equipment is still ongoing.
(including information from agencies)
A global media for the latest news, entertainment, music fashion, and more.
