In preparation for the anticipated holiday rush, Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista conducted an inspection of the Communications, Navigations, Surveillance / Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) system at the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) compound on Friday, December 29.
The inspection was part of the Oplan Biyaheng Ayos: Pasko 2023 initiative. Secretary Bautista was assured by CAAP personnel of the efficiency of the CNS/ATM equipment, including the redundancy of the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), which is crucial for the continuous operation of air traffic control.
Following the inspection, Secretary Bautista stated, “All facilities of CAAP are in order, well maintained and fully manned.”
In addition to the CNS/ATM system, the Transport Chief also inspected the Philippine Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Center in CAAP, which is responsible for search and rescue operations in case of an emergency.
Secretary Bautista was also informed of CAAP’s ‘No Leave Policy’ implemented to ensure adequate staffing during the holiday season. Furthermore, 45 commercially operating airports under CAAP remain on heightened alert due to the expected increase in air passenger volume this peak season.
This readiness check comes a year after the Philippine airspace was abruptly closed on New Year’s morning due to a technical issue with the air traffic management system at the Philippine Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC).
The disruption, which resulted in flights holding and diverting at all airports in the Philippines, was attributed to a power outage that led to a loss of communication, radio, and radar at the ATMC.
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