More than two dozen flights were diverted or delayed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) on Thursday after its primary runway was closed for three hours to repair two small potholes.
The Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa), the state-run agency that runs Naia, said a total of eight flights were diverted to Clark Airport in Pampanga and one to Davao International Airport. Terminals 1, 2 and 3 each had seven other flights delayed.
As of 4 p.m., five have landed at Naia.
In a press conference, the Miaa assistant general manager of operations, Octavio Lina, said the potholes were discovered at around 6 a.m., during the daily inspection routine on Runway 06/24 near the touchdown area close to the Echo 5 taxiway segment, which was used by landing larger aircraft.
Due to safety considerations, Lina said the Miaa opted to quickly repair the potholes, each about 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) wide and five meters apart, instead of waiting for the airport’s regular maintenance closure from 1:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m.
“We decided not to wait for the regular closure because of safety concerns, even if the potholes were small. We called for the contractor to immediately prepare for the necessary equipment to immediately repair the potholes we saw,” Lina said.