NAIA-3 flight, terminal operations return to normal

Flight and terminal operations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminal 3 have returned to normal as "power supply normalized as of 3pm", an airline operating in the terminal said Sunday.

“All PAL check-in counters at the NAIA Terminal 3 have been cleared of long queues as power supply normalized as of 3PM,” Philippine Airlines (PAL) said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

The Manila International Airport Authority also announced the normalization of operations through its Facebook page.

The blackout hit Terminal 3, which services mostly domestic flights, late on Saturday and power was not restored until before dawn on Sunday.

Exhausted passengers sprawled on the floor as check-in counters and luggage carousels shut down. Long queues formed outside the terminal as entrances were closed until power was restored.

Terminal 3 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport, named after the assassinated father of incumbent President Benigno Aquino, handles an average of 350 domestic and international flights daily, according to data from the DOTC.

NAIA-3  is one of four terminals in a complex that was once dubbed by the travel website Guide to Sleeping in Airports as the world's worst due to leaking toilets and creaking facilities.

[Read:  NAIA still the worst airport according to pilots, flight crews]

The four NAIA terminals were designed for 17 million passengers annually, but overuse has made the airport notorious for flight delays.

Plans to build a new airport outside Metro Manila have not materialized under the Aquino administration. An excruciatingly slow infrastructure overhaul has led to chronic commuter train breakdowns and traffic jams.

At least 140 flights were affected by the power outage which started at 8:45 pm Saturday and lasted until early morning Sunday leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

“So far, 62 PAL T3 flights (outbound and inbound combined) experienced delays, while 21 flights were on-time. The remaining flights today will operate as scheduled,” PAL said.

Cebu Pacific (CEB), in its advisory, said a total of 78 one-way flights have been cancelled?, affecting approximately 13,950 passengers.

“CEB is coordinating with the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), in providing assistance to all guests of the disrupted flights.? CEB is arranging the re-accommodation of affected passengers on the soonest available flights,” the CEB advisory said.

The Gokongwei-owned airline offered its passengers a full refund or have their flights rebooked.

"CEB is (also) arranging the re-accommodation of affected passengers on the soonest available flights," its advisory said.

The logjam also affected airport operations across the country.

Stranded passengers at Kalibo Airport due to @CebuPacificAir cancellation of flights. pic.twitter.com/aD4tOxz23H

— Steeeeve F Dailisan (@stevefdailisan) April 3, 2016

Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya has ordered an investigation into the incident.

Quoting a report by NAIA-3 terminal manager Octavio Lina, Abaya said a power generation malfunction was among the reasons for the five-hour outage.

"Sabi niya may na-drain [na battery]. Hindi nagkick-in ang isang genset (generator set) natin. May drainage sa battery power... hindi nag-transmit ng power sa building (NAIA-3) mismo," Abaya told Super Radyo dzBB Sunday morning.

MIAA spokesman David de Castro however said the power outage was believed to have been caused by the tripping of a Meralco substation.

“Noong nag-trip yung energy, na-drain ‘yung battery sa ating stations dito sa terminal 3,” Castro said.

Meralco refuted this, saying the problem was in the customer’s loadside.

The power utility firm initially explained its side via a series of tweets:

(1/4) Please be advised that as of 1AM today, all the circuits serving NAIA Terminal 3 are fully restored and operational.

— MERALCO (@meralco) April 3, 2016

(2/4)Based from our assessment, the power interruption that occurred was apparently due to problems in NAIA's internal electrical facilities

— MERALCO (@meralco) April 3, 2016

(3/4) Meralco was able to detect the trouble that caused the tripping and responded immediately.

— MERALCO (@meralco) April 3, 2016

(4/4) While we are still conducting further investigation, Meralco is on standby at NAIA T3 to provide assistance in case of emergency

— MERALCO (@meralco) April 3, 2016

I survived the NAIA-3 mess

A journalist travelling back to Cagayan de Oro said he was met by "a kilometer-long line of irate passengers" when he arrived at the NAIA-3 Sunday morning.

"Airport security only opened one gate and herded all PAL and Cebu Pac passengers in two lines. the line was so long and hundreds of passengers were angry, hungry and thirsty because of the morning sun outside the terminal.

"Once inside the terminal building, passengers have to jostle their way to the Cebu Pac and PAL (check in) terminals. there were shouts of anger from passengers when they found Cebu Pac cancelled many of their flights without notice. PAL did not cancel any of their flights but their departure were delayed because they waited for their passengers to come aboard," said veteran journalist Froilan Gallardo.

"There were heartless moments too. A PAL employee refused to allow the entry of a PWD on a wheelchair because the terminal was full. Not after a scathing admonishment from other passenger who told him he is violating the PWD Law did the guy allowed the poor guy on wheelchair to pass through," he added.

The "Filipino Flash", boxer Nonito Donaire and his family were among those stranded at the airport. He posted a video on his Facebook page showing him with his children playing at the airport terminal.

— Kiersnerr Gerwin Tacadena with Agence France-Presse/APG, GMA News