Red lightning alert prompts NAIA flights, ground ops suspensions

CHINESE TOURIST ARRIVAL / JANUARY 24, 2023Chinese tourists queue at the immigration counters upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminal 1 on Tuesday, January 24, 2023. Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and Chinese Ambassador Huang Xillian welcomes the 189 passengers of Xiamen Airlines. INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Tourists line up at the immigration counters upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 on Tuesday, January 24, 2023. (INQUIRER file photo / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE)

MANILA, Philippines — Flight and ground operations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) were temporarily suspended on Wednesday afternoon after the Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) issued a red lightning alert anew.

“The MIAA Airport Ground Operations and Safety Division (AGOSD) has issued a Red Lightning Alert at 03:25 PM / 1525H. Flight and ground operations are temporarily suspended,” the advisory read.

READ: MIAA temporarily suspends Naia operations amid red lightning alert

“This alert is a safety measure taken to prevent untoward incidents from happening when lightning is prevalent in the immediate area and may endanger personnel, passengers, and even flight operations,” it added.

At 4:57 p.m., the red lightning alert was lowered to yellow status, and flight and ground operations at the airport resumed.

Miaa also suspended and resumed the same airport operations earlier in the day between 11:45 a.m. and 2:25 p.m.

READ: Climate tech can save lives 

In a separate advisory, the state weather bureau said Pampanga, Bataan, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna and Quezon may experience moderate to heavy rain showers with lightning and strong winds.

Meanwhile, it said heavy to intense rain showers with lightning and strong winds are being experienced in parts of Tarlac, Metro Manila, Batangas, Zambales, and Nueva Ecija.

Read more...