Catarman airport sustains heavy damage, says CAAP

THE STRONG WINDS brought by Typhoon “Nona” (international name: Melor) caused “heavy” structural damage to an airport in Northern Samar province on Tuesday.

Danilo Abareta, an area manager of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Operations Rescue and Coordinating Center, said that as of 8 a.m., among the “heavily damaged” facilities of the Catarman airport were the fire station building, a terminal, a CAAP staff house and three guard posts.

He said “partially damage[d]” were the flight services station tower, the air navigation service powerhouse, a weather instrument, a perimeter fence and some airport signages.

Abareta added that power and communication lines were “down” in the Catarman area.

‘Minor damage’

According to Abareta, other airports under his jurisdiction, such as Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban, the airport in Ormoc; and those in Calbayog, Catbalogan, Catarman, Borongan, Biliran, Guiuan, Hilongos and Maasin in Leyte sustained “only minor damage.”

He said that “normal commercial operations” in these airports were expected to resume “as soon as the weather improves and clearing operations are done.”

Cynthia Tumanut, also an area manager of CAAP, said the airports in Legazpi, Naga, Masbate, Virac, Sorsogon, Bulan and Daet sustained “only minor structural damage.”

“After clearing operations and weather permitting, all commercial operations will commence [there again],” she said.

On Tuesday, the Manila International Airport Authority announced the cancellation of 64 flights due to the bad weather.

According to an advisory sent to reporters, the flights were bound for Caticlan, Legazpi, Naga and Calbayog, among others.