Senators fear air traffic hitch carries ‘huge implications’ for national security

Senator Risa Hontiveros and Senator B0ng Go (left), Senate PRIB file photos

MANILA, Philippines —If the main airport in the country has to close for some flimsy technical reason, it could threaten national security.

Two senators are not convinced by the explanation for the disastrous problem at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on January 1, which shocked the entire country.

Senators Christopher “Bong” Go and Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday issued separate statements following a power outage at the Philippine Air Traffic Management Center on New Year’s Day, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights that affected at least 56,000 domestic and international travelers.

“As Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on National Defense, I believe this incident has possibly huge national security implications,” Go said. “It appears all it takes to paralyze the entire Philippine airspace is just one technical glitch.”

The senator added that it is unacceptable to see passengers stranded in airports and forced to spend money for new tickets. He also noted that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) now worry about their job status for not returning on time due to flight delays and cancellations.

For Hontiveros, the snag may not just be an “ordinary glitch.” She thought there could be “more unseen problems down the line.”

“This may not be just an ordinary ‘glitch’, as the early diagnosis said. Dismissing it as a simple ‘bug’ ignores the systemic problems at our airports. Let us not take the easy way out and blame the equipment outright. The fact that the back up also failed could mean more unseen problems down the line,” she said.

“Before we get the much-talked-about ‘upgrade,’ let’s see if the problem was compounded by human error or negligence in maintaining the equipment,” she continued.

Vulnerability to cyber attacks using the current system, said Hontiveros, must also be assessed.

The opposition senator likewise said that the snag is a “wake-up call for our airport authorities to review the aggressive schedules of airlines during busy seasons.”

Hontiveros further stressed that someone has to be accountable for the incident.

Naia privatization

Meanwhile, Go said it  “may be too early to say” that privatizing the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) will resolve the issue.

Go was asked for his reaction to suggestions of privatizing Naia following the technical glitch.

“It may be too early to say that privatizing NAIA will solve the problem. This proposal needs to be thoroughly studied further taking all aspects into consideration. There is, however, the urgent need to enhance further the equipment and facilities at Naia — the gateway to our country for investors, tourists, OFWs and travelers,” he replied.

On December 30, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista announced that the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is pushing to privatize Naia.

Two days later, the Naia mess happened with a power outage and technical hitch reportedly affecting the airport’s air traffic management system.

READ: Solon fears air traffic control glitch has a dark undertone

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines admitted that the country’s air traffic management system is “outdated.”

Three senators have filed separate resolutions seeking to investigate the New Year’s Day airport turmoil.

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