Just when we were expecting things to be better this 2023 for the Philippine aviation industry, it seems like they were greeted by challenges on the very first day of the year. The Philippines airspace was unexpectedly shut on New Year’s morning owing to a technical fault with the air traffic management system at the Philippine Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC) beginning at 9:49 AM. This does not bode well for the aviation sector in the Philippines.
Aviation Updates Philippines said that reports of the disturbance throughout the nation first appeared at 10:39 a.m. Because of the breakdown in contact with air traffic control, flights were spotted holding and diverting at every airport in the Philippines. Both the Hong Kong-bound Cathay Pacific Flight CX-901 and the Seoul-bound Jeju Air Flight 7C-4407 issued a radio failure emergency (squawk 7600) while in transit. However, both planes made it safely to their destinations in Manila and Bohol-Panglao.
Advisories from the local airlines
Local airlines are now releasing advisories about the breakdown. Philippine Airlines in its advisory said, “a number of flights of PAL and other airlines will need to be delayed or diverted today, 01 January 2023, as a result of technical issues with the navigational air traffic management system for the Manila area which is affecting departures and arrivals of scheduled flights.”
Cebu Pacific also in an advisory said, “Cebu Pacific advises its passengers that the Philippine Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC) is currently experiencing power outage and loss of communication which are affecting all operations.
All flights have been temporarily put on hold. CEB is coordinating with the necessary authorities on when the situation will normalize.
Please expect flight disruptions as we manage the situation.”
AirAsia Philippines also issued an advisory that said, “Flights to and from Manila were put on hold due to technical issues at Manila’s Air Navigation Facilities.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has addressed the issue and is now preparing for resumption of flight operations as soon as possible.”
What caused these flight disruptions?
According to Aviation Updates, all flights entering or leaving Philippine territory, including overflights, are subject to regulation and supervision by the ATMC. The ATMC is home to air traffic controllers who, for the sake of passenger and cargo safety, issue flight clearances and instructions.
Because of the problems at the control center, planes flying over Philippine territory could not get in touch with the authorities in charge of air traffic control. A significant danger to public safety would be introduced if planes went on without air traffic control.
The organization responsible for air traffic control in the Philippines, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), issued an apology for the New Year’s mishap and reaffirmed that safety is its top concern.
Requesting extra patience
All I can hope for is that the passengers that are affected be understanding and kind. There’s nothing airline companies can do about this, and no jet will take off or land without radar as well as capability for pilots to communicate with ground controllers. Don’t be harsh with the ground staff and the flight attendants. They are not to blame, and they cannot prevent this.
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
