EDITORIAL - 'A minor problem' at the NAIA

Airport authorities downplayed yesterday the breakdown of a navigational device that is critical for nighttime flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. About 60 domestic and international flights were either cancelled or diverted on Saturday, but airport authorities said it was “a minor problem” and should not be described as a “crisis.” As of yesterday afternoon, the VOR or Very High Frequency Omni Directional Radio Range at the NAIA remained out of commission. Authorities said the VOR could be operational again only this morning.

Employees of the Civil Aeronautics Authority of the Philippines had earlier tried to call the attention of the government to the unreliability of airport navigation equipment all over the country. Among the factors behind this was the failure of aviation authorities to have the equipment calibrated regularly, the employees said. The CAAP has since been placed under new management, but the equipment problem persists, as shown by the VOR breakdown. 

As of yesterday afternoon, passengers whose flights had been canceled could be seen sleeping as they waited for their flights at the NAIA. Airport authorities emphasized that the NAIA and domestic airport continued to operate, and that it was up to airlines to decide whether to risk landing or taking off without the VOR. Naturally, there are airlines that do not want to take that risk.

The VOR breakdown should prompt aviation authorities to undertake a thorough check of other navigation equipment nationwide. It’s bad enough that the country, which launched Asia’s first airline many decades ago, now lags behind most of its Asian neighbors in terms of airport facilities. With the onset of the typhoon season, the nation’s premier airport could again experience flooding on the tarmac as well as blackouts, with back-up generators also bogging down. The breakdown of the VOR should spur authorities to undertake urgent maintenance work on airport facilities and equipment.