What Really Caused the NAIA Flight Disruptions?
It was quite the start to the new year yesterday for travelers passing through Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Delays, cancellations, and diversions led to roughly 56,000 passengers being affected, according to various reports. Passengers were left stranded or inside planes and flights were asked to turn back. What exactly happened here and are there any new safeguards in place?
“We have uninterrupted power supply. The problem was not the electricity coming from Meralco, but with the CAAP equipment,” Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista said.
Timeline
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and the Airline Operators Council (AOC) are working on a recovery schedule of flights that were cancelled due to technical issues facing the air traffic management system of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). pic.twitter.com/FaSTVOwlmx
— Ninoy Aquino International Airport (@MIAAGovPH) January 1, 2023
According to the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), flights yesterday were due to unspecified "technical issues." The problems were apparently first detected around 10:00 a.m. on January 1st. By 4:00 p.m., 282 domestic and international flights had reportedly been either delayed, cancelled, or diverted to other airports. At 6:00 p.m., the DOTr reassured the public that the system had been partially restored. By 7:30 p.m., 345 flights to and from Manila were cancelled while six were delayed and 10 were diverted. This meant that limited flight operations were back. Operators also announced that they were working on a recovery schedule of flights cancelled.
Official Explanation
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— DOTrPH ???????? (@DOTrPH) January 1, 2023
Read full press release here: https://t.co/08uElWbSsw#DOTrPH???????? pic.twitter.com/FdRZbD6C8Q
Authorities explained that power outages downed the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP)'s air navigation facilities. This led to the loss of communication, radio, radar, and internet connections at NAIA. DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista also added that the equipment that should've provided the power supply in two NAIA terminals went offline, as well. To make matters worse, they failed to connect to the backup commercial power supply of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).
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National Security Threat?
Senator Grace Poe brought up whether or not the glitch in NAIA's air traffic system was a national security issue. She even recalled a similar concern back in September 2022 when various flights were delayed and cancelled albeit in a much smaller capacity. At the time, authorities said that a power outage problem on NAIA Terminal 3’s power substation was the main culprit.
“Hinihintay pa natin ang official report mula sa airport authorities pero dapat nating marinig sa kanila kung national security problem na ba ito,” Poe said in a statement on Sunday. “...Bagong taon pero lumang problema. We were optimistic that the new year would spur change for the better, but it seems that our air transport’s new year’s resolution has been broken on the first day of the year."
The senator urged the authorities concerned to have multiple contingency plans and the immediate rollout of assistance to passengers. In response to the whole debacle, the MIAA was adamant that it would adhere to the rights of passengers under the Air Passenger Bill of Rights. This would include compensation and amenities for each of them.
Is Privatization the Answer?
If our Group could be of any help to DOTr/CAAP, we’d be happy to participate - colocation of 2nd, even 3rd, redundancies in our nationwide data centers, required connectivities - fiber, satellite, wireless - robust even redundant power supply protection etc.Let’s all support.
— Manny V. Pangilinan (@iamMVP) January 1, 2023ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
On the final days of December 2022, Bautista announced that the new Marcos government was pushing through with NAIA's privatization.
"We have worked with the Asian Development Bank for the preparation of the terms of reference for the privatization of the Manila International Airport," Bautista expresed during a briefing on December 28. He also added that the terms of reference was expected to be ready by the first quarter of 2023. This should allow for the fair review of proposals from interested parties.
Among the improvements that should be prioritized, according to the DOTr chief, is to allow public utility vehicles to service passengers, to redevelop parking spaces, and to automate the baggage handling system. In the past, groups of conglomerates like the NAIA Superconsortium, which included Manny Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Investments Corp., as well as Megawide Construction Corp, have each submitted proposals for the NAIA rehabilitation. The DOTr secretary looks to have NAIA conform to global standards while protecting investors' and the public's interests.
"They should be able to earn a reasonable [amount] of their investment. We'll make it investor-friendly. Our environment should be investor-friendly not only what is good for the government, but what is good for the passengers and what is good for the private sector," Bautista said.
