Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Image from MIAA
MANILA, Philippines — The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) on Wednesday said that no damage was encountered in the airport facilities of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after a Magnitude 7 earthquake struck Abra and was felt throughout Luzon.
“The two runways of the NAIA were declared safe for flight operations after no damage was seen on the pavements,” said the MIAA management in a statement.
“Inspection of the four NAIA Terminals likewise yielded good results as no damage was also noted,” it added.
The MIAA management also said that no flights were affected by the earthquake.
However, it reported that minimal disruption occurred in the processing of cargo after the accelerograph of the International Cargo Terminal — which was set at a lower threshold — registered a red alarm prompting mandatory evacuation of everyone inside, before being declared safe.
“As a result of the evacuation, minimal disruption to processing of cargo was inevitable,” said the MIAA management.
The MIAA then assured that its emergency teams are always ready to respond to any emergencies as guided by its “Airport Emergency Plan” (AEP) procedures.
This came after a magnitude 7 earthquake struck the province of Abra on Wednesday morning.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council had tagged the quake as a “major earthquake,” warning that it may cause multiple aftershocks in the next few days and could even last for months.
Damaged structures, power lines, walls and bridges have already been reported in several provinces.