Navigation system problem at NAIA 'solved,' operations back to normal

Nearly five days after it conked out, a key navigational system of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has been temporarily fixed and will be up and running Wednesday. Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Melvin Matibag said they expect operations at the airport to be fully normal by 9 a.m. “Kanina lahat na modules na pinahiram ng Subic International Airport ay naikabit at napagana, operational na yan (We installed the modules we borrowed from the Subic International Airport. The system is operational)," Matibag said in an interview on dwIZ radio. He said the [restoration of the system] prompted the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to shorten its Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) over the conked-out system from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. Since 4 a.m., he said the Very High Frequency Omni Radio Range (VOR) station that conked out last weekend had been on “test mode." “Originally hanggang 6 p.m. today ang test mode. Pero mula 4 a.m., maraming eroplano ang nakalapag at nag-respond positive at walang reklamo sa function ng VOR kaya iniksian ng board to 9 a.m. (We originally scheduled the test mode from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. But having no problems with planes’ landing since 4 a.m., the test mode was shortened to 9 a.m.)," he said. A NOTAM is filed with an aviation authority to alert aircraft pilots of any hazards en route or at a specific location. The VOR system conked out last Saturday, prompting aviation authorities to delay several flights at the NAIA. On the other hand, Matibag said the repair of the VOR remains a temporary fix, and that they still plan to acquire a replacement system. He said such a system has a lifespan of 15 years, and the present system was due for replacement after having been in service for more than 14 years. Matibag said they have called up the VOR system's supplier, who he said will send technicians with spare parts to the NAIA by Thrusday. No black eye Matibag insisted the incident over the VOR will not give the Philippine government a black eye, saying international authorities look not at the incident but at government’s response. “Alam ng international body pwede ito mangyari. Ang tinitingnan ng international body kung ano ang reaksyon na ginawa ng awtoridad, ng CAAP (International bodies know this can happen. They look not so much at the incident itself as the response of authorities like the CAAP)," he said. — LBG, GMANews.TV