Airport authorities told to attend to stranded passengers amid flight control glitch
Passengers wait for information about their flights at terminal 3 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay, Metro Manila on January 1, 2023. – Thousands of travellers were stranded at Philippine airports on January 1 after a “loss of communication” at the country’s busiest hub in Manila forced hundreds of flights to be cancelled, delayed or diverted. (Photo by KEVIN TRISTAN ESPIRITU / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday said airport authorities should adequately attend to the needs of thousands of stranded passengers in the wake of the glitch in the air traffic system which resulted in numerous flight disruptions.
“Airport authorities must attend to the needs of stranded passengers at all affected airports and ensure their safety and convenience until normal airport operations are restored. The public, particularly affected passengers, should also be appraised of the latest situation and should be made aware of new flight schedules,” he emphasized.
On Sunday, hundreds of flights were either delayed, cancelled, or diverted to other airports, affecting over 56,000 passengers who were scheduled to arrive at or depart from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other airports across the country.
Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Director General Capt. Manuel Tamayo said that it was the power supply of the Air Traffic Management Center Communications, Navigation and Surveillance Systems for Air Traffic Management that had failed and caused damage to key components.
Gatchalian said the timing of the glitch is “unfortunate” as the air travel in the country has been only restored to normal levels recently.
Article continues after this advertisement“It is unfortunate to see a crisis-like situation such as this at NAIA at a time when demand for air travel in the country has just been restored to normal levels following the lifting of travel restrictions which were imposed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Gatchalian said
Article continues after this advertisement“The government must do everything in its power to ensure that this doesn’t happen again given the impact it would have on affected passengers and the negative impression that it would have on our foreign visitors,” the he added.
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