CAAP: Minimal flight disruptions expected on May 17 air traffic maintenance

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on Wednesday said it expects a minimal number of flights to be affected due to the two-hour airspace shutdown on May 17 to give way to corrective maintenance of the Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC).

In a statement, the CAAP said the maintenance activity will be done from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. on May 17. This was shorter than the previously announced six-hour airspace maintenance shutdown on the same date.

Citing notice from GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC), the agency said no flights will be affected at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).

For Clark International Airport, only four regional flights will be affected as per source from Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corporation —operator of Clark International Airport.

The CAAP added that AirAsia Philippines announced that 12 flights have been retimed on May 16 and two flights on May 17, while six domestic flights are cancelled on May 17.

CAAP Deputy Director General for Operations Captain Edgardo Diaz said that "the temporary airspace closure is due to the imperative corrective maintenance activity on the ATMC, necessary to replace the defective Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), and reconfigure the Air Traffic Management System (ATMS) A/B power supply.”

“This will ensure that the CNS/ATM system will continue to provide safe and efficient air traffic control operations,” said Diaz.

The CAAP said it has already coordinated with and advised concerned stakeholders such as air carriers and airport operators, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corp. (LIPAD), and GMR–Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC) in advance regarding the intended corrective maintenance activity.

It said that corresponding Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) were duly promulgated to inform all stakeholders.

The ATMC power supply upgrade will involve the installation of  bypass panel to provide seamless ATM operations and the reconfiguration of the existing power distribution panel to segregate ATM system A (Voice) and ATM system B (Data), according to the CAAP.

The agency said the maintenance activity will result in the two UPS serving as each other's independent backup in case one power supply encounters a problem.

The ATMC houses the Communications, Navigations, Surveillance / Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) system, which manages air traffic within the Philippine Flight Information Region (FIR). —Ted Cordero/ VAL, GMA Integrated News