MANILA, Philippines – Flight operations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) are normalizing Monday morning following the more than two-hour suspension of ground movement for ramp personnel and aircraft due to a lightning alert which resulted in the diversion of several flights, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said.
“Meron ho tayong delayed flights kagabi, ‘yan po ay dahil sa meron po tayong 6:48 (p.m.), if I recall the time right, nag-umpisa po ‘yung red lightning alert po natin. Pag po ‘yan ay nakataas sa ating paliparan, wala hong pwedeng gumalaw dahil po yung imminent ng danger po nung kidlat ay malapit sa paliparan,” MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal said in an interview over dzMM.
(We had delayed flights last night due to a lightning alert, which prohibits ground movements due to imminent danger)
“Nag-last ho ‘yan ng almost two hours, basically, parang halos sarado ang ating airport for that matter because nga po hindi po tayo pupwedeng kumilos. Nung nagbukas, nagpatong-patong na ‘yung flights, so definitely yung ibang flights po nag-divert sa Clark (International Airport), after the opening (of the airport), unti-unti na hong bumabalik (‘yung mga flights),” he added.
(The alert last for almost two hours, virtually shutting down the airport. When it reopened, there was a surge in the number of arriving flights, hence, some had to be diverted to Clark, but things are normalizing now)
In a statement issued late Sunday, MIAA said six international and domestic flights were diverted to Clark.
The red lightning alert was raised at around 6:40 p.m. which was later lifted at 9:15 p.m.
In an advisory early Monday morning, MIAA said that NAIA “is now experiencing succession of flight arrivals as a result of a 2.5 hours suspension of ground movement for ramp personnel and flights.” (Editor: Gilbert S. Gaviola)