NAIA navigational equipment fixed but govt still needs to buy a new one

Three weeks after conking out, navigational equipment used to guide planes touching down at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has been restored Wednesday, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said. The airport's Doppler Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Radio Range (DVOR) was already "normal and stable" as of 11 a.m., a radio report said, quoting CAAP director general Alfonso Cusi. The device broke down on June 19, triggering the cancellation of over 50 domestic and international flights at the NAIA. Airport authorities later remedied the DVOR's malfunction by replacing some of its parts with spare ones that were imported from Germany. However, the DVOR was not immediately available since the parts being replaced needed to be calibrated. It remains uncertain how long the equipment will work given the device’s age, Cusi admitted. A VOR has a lifespan of 15 years, and the current system in place at the NAIA was due for replacement after being used for more than 14 years. Despite being restored, Cusi said he has still asked the NAIA to purchase a new DVOR. While its DVOR was being fixed, the NAIA had to borrow another DVOR from the Subic Bay International Airport. Cusi stressed that the NAIA still has to buy a new DVOR so the SBIA could already have its DVOR back. Just to be sure, Cusi has already advised airlines that land planes at the NAIA to use their respective Required Area Navigation-Global Positioning System (RNAV-GPS) equipment, instead of relying on the DVOR. An RNAV is a satellite-based navigational device known to be more a reliable guide for pilots even with poor visibility or bad weather. By end of July, the Instrument Landing System (ILS) that the government has ordered abroad is also expected to arrive. The ILS is expected to be more reliable than an RNAV or a DVOR, Cusi added. - Mark D. Merueñas, RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV