BOARDING Passengers line up at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 to check in for their respective flights out of the country. —FILE PHOTO
The Philippine airspace will shut down for only two hours on May 17 instead of six hours as earlier announced by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) to pave the way for the necessary repairs and upgrades of the country’s air traffic management system. “We apologize for any inconvenience that this schedule change may cause, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work to maintain the recommended standards of air traffic management in the country,” the Caap said. In a statement on Friday, Eric Apolonio, spokesperson for the Caap, said the corrective maintenance activity will be conducted from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. Inbound and outbound flights at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), Clark International Airport and other commercially-operated airports will be affected by the airspace suspension, the Manila International Airport Authority said. Airlines were advised to reschedule flights during the shutdown for their passengers’ convenience. A power outage hit Naia Terminal 3 on May 2, which affected at least 9,391 passengers and canceled several domestic and international flights. —Abby Boiser