MANILA - A transportation official said he will discuss with President Benigno Aquino III on Monday the issues surrounding the country's aviation industry.
Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) Secretary Jose de Jesus said he has met the officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), and Diosdado Macapagal International Airport Authority (DMIAA) to come up with mechanisms on how to address the declining airport safety standards.
This came after series of flight cancellations and diversions due to poor navigational aids at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) worried passengers and industry stakeholders.
On Saturday alone, more than 30 flights bound for Manila were diverted to Diosdado Macapagal Airport in Clark, Pampanga; Mactan International Airport in Cebu; and in Iloilo due to the thick haze that resulted from air pollution.
"We will discuss these things so that we can avoid the occurrence of similar situations. We will be looking into that problem and find a lasting solution. We know that the problem has something to do with the malfunctioning or non-functioning of the equipment," De Jesus said.
The secretary is referring to the main airport's Very High frequency Omnidirectional Radio Range (VOR) and Instrument Landing System (ILS) equipment, which broke down last June 19 due to wear and tear and lack of maintenance. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)