Thousands of domestic and international passengers were stranded as aviation security officials rush to solve technical glitches that resulted in cancellation and delay of flights to and from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Sunday, Jan. 1.
Both the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) are yet to issue statement as to when the technical glitches on the air navigation system will be fixed but government aviation officials have been meeting to address the problem in the soonest possible time.
A number of flights have been diverted, cancelled and delayed on Sunday, Jan. 1, due to technical issues that were monitored on the CAAP's Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC).
The CAAP has already activated emergency protocols.
Both the CAAP and MIAA have already apologized over the incident.
Various airline companies, however, have started distributing water and food packs to their respective passengers.
Among the international airline companies that started to attend to the needs of their passengers are the Gulf Air, Korean Airlines, the Saudia Airlines and the Philippine Airlines (PAL).
For its part, PAL has advised its passengers to regularly monitor the updates of their flight schedule.
It also advised its passengers to refrain from going to the NAIA if their flights are cancelled and instead, avail of rebooking options.
At least 116 domestic flights and 35 international PAL flights were cancelled as a result of the incident, according to PAL.
"If your flight is CANCELLED, you have the option to: Convert your ticket to Travel Credits equivalent to the unused base fare of your ticket. Voucher validity is one year (1) from the date of issuance. Rebook or Reroute your ticket to another flight with available space within 60 days from the original flight in the same booking class or higher within the same cabin class. Refund ticket without penalties, excluding Ticketing Service Charge," the PAL statement read.
PAL said it is continuously coordinating with the CAAP and the MIAA on the adjustment of flight schedules and clearances.
"This is a temporary situation, and we will take all necessary steps to restore normal schedules and bring diverted flights back to their original destination as soon as possible. As always, safety is our top priority, and we seek your kind understanding and patience as PAL works with the authorities and our service partners to make the best of a challenging situation," the statement read.