Diverted flights return to Manila

MANILA (Updated 2:03 p.m.) -- At least 15 flights that were earlier diverted to Clark, Pampanga, Cebu and Iloilo were already able to land at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila as of 2 p.m. Saturday.

Operations at the airport are now back to normal as there is already improved visibility on its runway. Seventeen more diverted flights, however, have not yet returned to Manila.

The flights were diverted Saturday morning to Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, Pampanga, as well as to Cebu and Iloilo due to zero visibility at the NAIA's runway.

Joselito Casaul of Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said haze or heavy fog at the runway caused the problem.

Most of the affected flights were domestic, while two came from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Guam.

Hundreds of passengers were then affected. Some complained of lack of food, while others said they were stuck inside the planes for hours, as the airlines did not allow them to go out.

One of the passengers interviewed on television said their flight was diverted to Clark at 8:30 a.m. and they have not yet returned to Manila as of noontime Saturday because of zero visibility at the NAIA.

Jonathan Gesmundo, spokesperson of the Philippine Airlines, however, said in a radio dzBB interview that the passengers were not allowed to go out because it would be difficult for the airlines to keep track of their passengers.

He said some adjustments on the system of the diverted airplanes were made while in Clark in order for them to return to Manila.

He added that the affected passengers, especially those with connecting flights, were allowed to take refunds. They will also be prioritized in case they want to book for another schedule.

The diversion of flights Saturday came just weeks after more than 20 flights also bound for Manila were cancelled due to a navigational aid glitch. NAIA's very high frequency omni directional radio range (VOR), which guides airplanes arriving at the airport during bad weather, conked out last June 18, causing the flight cancellations.

The NAIA media bureau said the VOR is not yet fully functional, contributing to Saturday's diversion of flights. A new VOR, however, is already available, but not yet installed, reports said. (Sunnex)