Its the ILS idiots!
July 3, 2010
Manila International Airport was again closed this morning delaying the arrival of 36 international and domestic flights bound for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Flights were diverted to airports in Clark, Iloilo and Cebu.
At least 22 flights, ten of them international and 18 from domestic points, were diverted to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Pampanga. Some of the flights came as far as Europe and the Middle East, two from Taipie, one from Riyadh, two from Singapore and one from Guam.
Three Philippine Airlines flights were also diverted to land in Cebu. They were flights from Zamboanga, Tacloban and Puerto Princesa. The first diverted flight was PR 124 from Zamboanga City with 134 adult and one infant passengers, which arrived at Mactan at 9:07 a.m. The second diverted flight, PR 192 from Tacloban City with 124 adults and one infant arrived at 11:06 a.m. The third diverted flight, PR 196 from Puerto Princesa City with 214 adults and four infants arrived at 12:06 p.m. Meanwhile, another PAL flight from Cagayan de Oro was forced to land at Iloilo airport.
Four international flights, including two from Cathay Pacific, opted to just fly in circles above the Manila airspace for two hours until it was permitted to land by noontime.
Cathay Pacific flight CX907 which was supposed to arrive at 9:55 a.m. flew in circles above Metro Manila while CX901 was scheduled to arrive at 11:15 a.m. circled the air for 55 minutes before finally being able to land.
Aseana flight OZ701 from Seoul, South Korea, and EVA Air 271 from Taipei also opted to fly in circles and were able to land after one hour of waiting up in the air.
Airport officials said the cause of the closure is poor visibility in Metro Manila due to haze.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) clarified that the diverted flights had nothing to do with the navigational aid that broke down last month.
Airport spokesmand Lito Casaul, technical assistant of CAAP, disclosed that haze was abnormal this morning as it was thicker dropping visibility at less than a kilometer making runway approach to runway 24 more difficult.
"Almost zero ang visibility" Casaul said.
Philippine Aviation regulations prohibit aircraft from landing at an airport when visibility is less than 4 kilometers.
But Casaul never said about the ILS (instrument Landing System), a navigational equipment used for night landing and zero visibility landing, whether its working or not.
Former MIAA Manager Melvin Matibag disclosed last month that one of the airports ILS facility, particularly the ILS for runway 24 is not working. A new transmitter module for the ILS is set to arrive in August to replace the old one which has been out of service since last year.
Some of the diverted flights were:
11 Philippine Airlines
4 Cebu Pacific
1 Royal Brunei Airlines
1 Qatar Airways
1 Gulf Air
2 Air Philippines
4 Zest Airlines
1 KLM Airlines
1 Seair
2 China Airlines
1 Air Micronesia
Airport operations returned back to normal as early as 12 noon. Casaul added that despite the diversion, no flight were reported to have been canceled by airlines inspite of weather setbacks. However, by 5 p.m. 15 flights were reported to be cancelled while 24 others were delayed due to the domino effect
CAAP said that airport closure is primarily aimed at passenger safety and that airport authorities will just have to wait for the weather to improve.
July 3, 2010
Manila International Airport was again closed this morning delaying the arrival of 36 international and domestic flights bound for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Flights were diverted to airports in Clark, Iloilo and Cebu.At least 22 flights, ten of them international and 18 from domestic points, were diverted to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Pampanga. Some of the flights came as far as Europe and the Middle East, two from Taipie, one from Riyadh, two from Singapore and one from Guam.
Three Philippine Airlines flights were also diverted to land in Cebu. They were flights from Zamboanga, Tacloban and Puerto Princesa. The first diverted flight was PR 124 from Zamboanga City with 134 adult and one infant passengers, which arrived at Mactan at 9:07 a.m. The second diverted flight, PR 192 from Tacloban City with 124 adults and one infant arrived at 11:06 a.m. The third diverted flight, PR 196 from Puerto Princesa City with 214 adults and four infants arrived at 12:06 p.m. Meanwhile, another PAL flight from Cagayan de Oro was forced to land at Iloilo airport.
Four international flights, including two from Cathay Pacific, opted to just fly in circles above the Manila airspace for two hours until it was permitted to land by noontime.
Cathay Pacific flight CX907 which was supposed to arrive at 9:55 a.m. flew in circles above Metro Manila while CX901 was scheduled to arrive at 11:15 a.m. circled the air for 55 minutes before finally being able to land.
Aseana flight OZ701 from Seoul, South Korea, and EVA Air 271 from Taipei also opted to fly in circles and were able to land after one hour of waiting up in the air.
Airport officials said the cause of the closure is poor visibility in Metro Manila due to haze.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) clarified that the diverted flights had nothing to do with the navigational aid that broke down last month.
Airport spokesmand Lito Casaul, technical assistant of CAAP, disclosed that haze was abnormal this morning as it was thicker dropping visibility at less than a kilometer making runway approach to runway 24 more difficult.
"Almost zero ang visibility" Casaul said.
Philippine Aviation regulations prohibit aircraft from landing at an airport when visibility is less than 4 kilometers.
But Casaul never said about the ILS (instrument Landing System), a navigational equipment used for night landing and zero visibility landing, whether its working or not.
Former MIAA Manager Melvin Matibag disclosed last month that one of the airports ILS facility, particularly the ILS for runway 24 is not working. A new transmitter module for the ILS is set to arrive in August to replace the old one which has been out of service since last year.
Some of the diverted flights were:
11 Philippine Airlines4 Cebu Pacific
1 Royal Brunei Airlines
1 Qatar Airways
1 Gulf Air
2 Air Philippines
4 Zest Airlines
1 KLM Airlines
1 Seair
2 China Airlines
1 Air Micronesia
Airport operations returned back to normal as early as 12 noon. Casaul added that despite the diversion, no flight were reported to have been canceled by airlines inspite of weather setbacks. However, by 5 p.m. 15 flights were reported to be cancelled while 24 others were delayed due to the domino effect
CAAP said that airport closure is primarily aimed at passenger safety and that airport authorities will just have to wait for the weather to improve.
para-paraan lang yan!!! siyempre para manatili sa puwesto... gagawa ng paraan para may gawin sila.
ReplyDeletekung yung gamit yung nasisira.. much more sa tao pa! so dapat palitan na din mga ndi makapag-perform! waste of government money. Tax ng mga tao yan!!!
It's not the ILS. It's the idiots.
ReplyDeleteIt's true haze may have dropped visibility below VOR approach minima but if the ILS for both runways were working the diversions would have been unnecessary. This is really the crux of the problem. The ILS have not been working for the last couple of years and there has never a conspicuous lack of urgency on the part of airport management and the ATO-now-CAAP to have them repaired or replaced.
ReplyDeleteThe years of neglect and mismanagement at the airport has finally come home to roost.
NAIA has finally become world class. A world class embarrassment.
And please don't tell us this won't affect the country's standing on the next FAA or EU audit.
We have poor management leaders with CAAP. How does CSC retain these kinds of incompetent people??? Mr. President, I think you should take actions to change CSC first since they are protecting the so-called "skilled" workers.
ReplyDeleteFYI: GM Matibag already resigned as sign of good will. Mr. Roberto Uy!!! the COO (huh?) better yet tender your resignation before time comes and all corrupt practices you've made become visible.
ReplyDeleteHuston we've had a problem. Because of someone's stupidity!
I guess this time Mr.Matibag folded his poker card, he's so good at bluffing with a bad card. Just like what he does with MIA-it doesn't matter what the airport have or don't have, as long as you make people believe you have a safe & capable airport.
ReplyDeleteDoes Mr.Uy play poker? Somebody has to tell him to fold already. They're playing with the peoples life & money!
When flights get diverted and passangers and airline operators loose money, do these guys(MIA officials) still get their monthly salary undeducted? duh?
there's no patch for stupidity...
ReplyDeletehow i wish these guys who caused trouble will be penalized just like with private sectors practice. problem is, we have no deterrence yet tolerating such people.
i guess Mr. Uy is not just paying poker but playing with government authorities and taking advantage of his job title. given all these uncertainties on airport operations, how will the government fix such human nature problem? VOR is replaceable, is Roberto Uy does have replacement for COO/Senior AGM?
Daming katulad ni Uy sa gobyerno.. tila manhid sa mga problema at solusyon bastat may suweldo. Dapat siguro lahat ng tao sa gobyerno may accomplishment report every month para pag walang nagawa ay WALANG SWELDO makuha. Yung iba tumanda na sa trabaho at posisyon nila at ni-walang improvement o nagawang contribution kundi "crab-mentality"
ReplyDelete"Mr.President,I think it's time to replace all the idiots that are running NAIA 1,2, & 3... This airport has become a national embarrasment for the entire country and will likely prevent the nation from moving forward..."
ReplyDeleteMaybe DMIA will replace NAIA as the most technologically-advanced airport in the 21st century when DMIA terminal 2 (Premiere Gateway terminal 2) will be completed in 2013.
ReplyDelete