The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) is investigating the cause of a false fire alarm that briefly disrupted operations at its Air Traffic Management (ATM) Center on Tuesday, Nov. 11, and caused delay on at least 59 flights.
Citing initial report, CAAP Director General Raul Del Rosario said alarm was triggered around 1:24 a.m. which prompted the activation of contingency plan and safety protocols.
These include temporary hold on departures of planes. As a result, a total of 59 commercial and cargo flights were delayed by an average of 45 minutes before being cleared for departure.
Normal operations resumed by 2:50 a.m., with all restrictions lifted at 3:16 a.m.
“We commend our air traffic controllers for their professionalism and quick response, which ensured that flight safety was never compromised and that operations returned to normal immediately. This incident underscores our continued commitment to maintaining the highest standards of aviation safety and readiness,” said De Rosario.
"CAAP will conduct an internal investigation to prevent similar occurrences and remains committed to upholding the highest standards of aviation safety, in accordance with the directives," he added,