DOTr to get backup UPS to after air traffic system glitch

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it was set to get a backup uninterruptible power supply (UPS) after the recent technical issues in the Philippines' air traffic management system on New Year’s Day caused flight disruptions at the NAIA.

According to JP Soriano’s “24 Oras” report on Thursday, the UPS was allegedly damaged which led to the disruption of operations in all airports for at least five hours.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) are now investigating the incident.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the national government would buy another backup UPS.

“Hindi naman siguro kailangan palitan kailangan lang i-repair and most probably kailangan lang magkaroon pa ng isa para dalawa yung ating redundancy,” Bautista said.

Bautista said the DOTr had sufficient funds but needed to undergo the procurement process.

At least 282 flights were canceled, diverted, or delayed on New Year's Day as the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) recorded a technical issue at the Philippine Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC) at 9:50 a.m. Around 56,000 passengers were affected at the NAIA.

Several affected passengers underwent round trips to get their rebooked flights.

Passenger Rose Subungga said she has a scheduled flight to Singapore on Thursday but she received her rebooked flight from Bacolod to Manila the following day.

She then rode fast craft and roll-on, roll-off (RORO) to different areas before getting a trip that will take her to Manila on Thursday.

“Panay pa ako Bacolod to Iloilo, Iloilo to Kalibo, Kalibo to Caticlan then Caticlan to Batangas. Naikot ko na. Nag-email na no flights,” Subungga said.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said the operations in all major airlines were returned to normal.

This means all scheduled flights have been returned to the regular schedule.

The House Committee on Transportation will conduct a briefing on Tuesday regarding the incident.

House good government and accountability panel head Florida Robes filed House Resolution 672 about the malfunction of the Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) System on January 1 that either delayed, grounded or canceled around 282 flights.

The DOTr and CAAP earlier said that they will face all hearings.

Based on the MIAA’s data on January 4, at least 770 flights passed through all NAIA terminals which is equivalent to over 143,000 passengers. —NB, GMA Integrated News