Planes may still land at NAIA despite glitch, says CAAP

Saying there is no need for mass cancellation of flights, aviation authorities have clarified that planes can still land at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport despite Saturday’s technical glitch. In a faxed statement released Sunday, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) director general Alfonso Cusi said Manila airports continue their operations even after the Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Radio Range (VOR) broke down Saturday morning. According to Cusi, airlines have been informed of the procedures on the usage of the airport even in the absence of the VOR, saying the airport radar is still working. Cusi said this after at least two airlines, Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines, have informed CAAP of possible cancellation of flights as a contingency plan. At least 50 flights have been cancelled Saturday due to the glitch, while some Philippine Airline Flights coming from the United States and the Middle East have likewise been delayed. Cusi, however, said other airport equipment are still working, and that planes will be guided for a safe landing. “Our radar and the distance measuring equipment are operational; our traffic controller can guide them until they reach the 5 miles and 1,500 feet aircraft altitude from the runway. If the weather permits and the approaching aircraft can see the runway, then they can land; if not, they have to divert," he said. He likewise assured airlines that their planes can still land and depart at NAIA as long as pilots comply with the landing and departure procedures. If aircrafts cannot land at the Manila airports, flights can be diverted to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark some 50 nautical miles north of Manila, Cusi explained. “The DMIA is ready to receive diverted flights, all staff personnel have been augmented, if still needed we can also tap the Mactan-Cebu International Airport,’’ Cusi said. While the VOR is still being reconfigured, the NAIA has yet to restore full operations, with pilots landing manually using only their vision in clear weather. —VS, GMANews.TV