Manila: Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez on Wednesday inspected the Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC) of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to help ensure a hassle-free travel for air passengers during Undas (All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days). The DOTr’s preparations are in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s order to ensure aviation operations remain efficient and provide hassle-free travel to the public.

According to Philippines News Agency, during the inspection, Lopez stated their goal is to avoid a repeat of the 2023 New Year’s technical glitch that affected several flights to and from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. He ordered the CAAP to perform all necessary repairs and upgrades of the ATMC. Lopez emphasized the importance of ensuring that such disruptions do not occur again, particularly from Undas through to Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

To date, CAAP has initiated systems redundancy and upgrades in its existing Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM). In addition, CAAP has purchased new uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units for its CNS/ATM to prevent unexpected shutdowns.

On January 1, 2023, the CAAP ATMC, which controls and oversees all inbound and outbound flights and overflights within Philippine airspace, went offline due to a power outage, resulting in the loss of communication, radio, radar, and internet services. The incident disrupted several flights, affecting thousands of passengers at NAIA and other airports nationwide.