Philippine Air Traffic Management Center in Pasay City (Photo courtesy of CAAP)
MANILA – The scheduled Philippine radar system's maintenance on May 17 has been shortened from six to two hours.
The new schedule is now set from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m., instead of midnight to 6 a.m., the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) announced Friday.
The corrective maintenance at the Philippine Air Traffic Management Center seeks to replace the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and to upgrade the air traffic management system (ATMS).
On Thursday, CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio said the maintenance activity can be finished in about 4.5 hours, and that CAAP just allocated six hours so that flights would not be totally affected should there be issues that need to be fixed.
When asked about the change, he said that after consultations, it was found that the activity can be expedited.
"After careful study, simulation, consultation with CAAP's technical team and service provider, it was agreed that the maintenance activity can be expedited by providing additional manpower and a standby UPS," he told the Philippine News Agency.
CAAP, meanwhile, said it is set to implement contingency procedures through direct coordination with adjacent Flight Information Regions to help minimize disruption to air traffic operations.
"CAAP assures the public that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure the safety and efficiency of air travel during the maintenance activity. We apologize for any inconvenience that this schedule change may cause," it said.
Apolonio earlier confirmed that airline companies have the prerogative to decide whether they will cancel or delay their scheduled flights that may be affected by the maintenance activity.
As of Friday afternoon, local carriers are yet to release the list of flights that they will either retime or cancel. (PNA)
