EDITORIAL - Another airport shutdown

The maintenance work at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport lasted only for nearly two hours, but it still delayed at least 47 flights as Philippine airspace was shut down anew early yesterday morning.

It was a continuation of the problem that crippled air travel in and out of the country on New Year’s Day. As initial investigation showed, a cooling fan broke down on Jan. 1, making the uninterrupted power supply for the Communications, Navigation and Surveillance for Air Traffic Management system break down. The standby UPS, however, failed to kick in. When the CNS / ATM was connected to the NAIA’s commercial power line, a circuit breaker failed to work and the system was fried, grounding flights across the country. The probe is not yet complete.

Yesterday’s shutdown was for the replacement of the blowing or cooling fan for the second UPS, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, which operates the CNS / ATM. But the shutdown still delayed at least nine flights at the NAIA taxiway and another 38 flights that were awaiting clearance.

This time, at least, airlines received notice on Saturday about the maintenance work scheduled to begin at 4:20 a.m. yesterday. It was supposed to last for only an hour, but the notice to airmen was lifted only at 6:19 a.m. Last Jan. 1, the shutdown delayed or diverted around 300 flights, affecting an estimated 56,000 travelers both in the country and abroad. Many of those stranded at the NAIA were overseas Filipino workers waiting for their flights to their host countries after the holiday break.

President Marcos later apologized for the New Year shutdown and said emergency procurements were being made for circuit breakers and cooling fans. Probers are still trying to establish conclusively if the technical problems were not caused by sabotage. Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista has said that depending on the outcome of the probes being conducted by several agencies including Congress, heads could roll.

In the meantime, the damaged CNS / ATM system will have to undergo continuing maintenance works, which could mean more delayed flights. This is bad news as people resume traveling after the COVID restrictions. The NAIA, the country’s main gateway, suffers enough from inadequate facilities and years of bad reviews from travelers. Authorities will have to work harder to improve airport services and make arrival and departure in the country a pleasant experience.