Passengers wait in line at a check-in counter at the Naia terminal 3. (Marianne Bermudez/Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Nancy Binay expressed hope that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has adequately prepared for the upcoming holiday season rush to avoid a repeat of the air travel fiasco that occurred during the 2023 New Year celebrations.
Binay said Saturday that DOTr should ensure travelers during the peak holiday season will not face issues due to technical and operational glitches in airports, seaports, and other public terminals.
On Jan. 1, 2023, as travelers returned from their holidays, including overseas workers who needed to report for work, the entire Philippine airspace was disrupted due to a communication and navigation system problem at the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap).
“I am positive that the DOTr has already made concrete steps to prevent any operational disruptions during this Christmas travel peak. Hopefully, our DOTr officials are now self-aware because we also don’t want a repeat of the unpleasant experience our fellow countrymen travelers had this year,” Binay said in a statement.
“We should not only monitor airports. We also need to focus on seaports and passenger vessels, buses at public terminals, and other modes of transportation — because for sure, people going on vacation for Christmas and New Year will flock to these public transportation modes,” she added.
According to the Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa), at least 282 flights were delayed, canceled, or diverted to other regional airports and ports abroad due to the Jan. 1 fiasco, which began with an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) issue.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista explained that the UPS equipment is linked to the Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance Systems for Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) of the Caap’s Philippine Air Traffic Management Center.
The CNS/ATM allows planes to communicate their positions, ensuring safe landing, departure, and air traffic management. Without it, planes and the Caap’s Air Traffic Control cannot determine where planes are.
After the primary UPS failed, the backup UPS used by the Air Traffic Management Center also failed at 9:49 a.m., leading to the suspension of outbound flights and the diversion of inbound flights.
To bypass the damaged UPS, technicians tried placing an automatic voltage regulator to limit the power to the system to 220 volts. This fixed the power supply issue, but an overvoltage occurred, as the system received 380 volts.
Technicians were forced to shut down the system to avoid damage to key components, but some crucial parts for communication were already damaged.
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) resumed limited operations around 4:00 p.m. on Jan. 1, using the Tagaytay radar, while full operations were restored by 7:45 p.m.
By that time, over 56,000 passengers had been affected.
“Our point is that we hope travels by our fellow Filipinos returning to their provinces will be orderly, without compromising safety and security. We expect that all vessels that set sail are sea-worthy and that there is no overbooking,” Binay said.
“Even in our bus terminals, there should be a simplified system for passengers to have a convenient way through security screenings,” she added.
Meanwhile, the senator also appealed to travelers to cooperate with authorities when going through security processes and expect reasonable delays due to the high volume of travelers and passengers.
“This is not new to us or to the DOTr. Everyone expects some degree of chaos from the point of origin to the destination. What we expect from our transport officials is to manage the anticipated chaos and implement necessary measures to prevent another holiday meltdown,” she said.
“I am optimistic that Sec. Bautista will make sure that everyone will be home on Christmas and do everything so that passengers won’t be confronted with travel disruptions until the new year,” she added.