Zamboanga incident won't jeopardize RP bid for FAA Category 1 status

The government is confident that the Philippines will regain Category 1 status in March next year despite the reported failure of an aircraft to land in Zamboanga International Airport on Friday because nobody was manning the control tower.

Director General Ruben Ciron of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said the Zamboanga airport incident is outside of the jurisdiction of the US Federal Aviation Administration.

“The FAA audits only safety oversights such as licensing, airworthiness and aircraft operations,” he said.

Ciron said Cebu Pacific flight 5J433, which was scheduled to arrive at 6:20 a.m., came five minutes earlier, while Philippine Airlines flight PR123 circled the airport for about an hour before eventually landing with control tower guidance.

Ciron denied published reports that the two planes were forced to land after running out of fuel.

The Zamboanga International Airport starts operations at 6 a.m. and ends at 7 p.m. on the same day, he added.

Ciron said the five air controllers told him they arrived late because they were unable to find public transport early on the morning after Christmas.

He had already relieved the five: Joy Garan, Renato Magno, Jaime Vicente Santos, Teofilo Estero Jr., and Juliet M. Jimenez, he added.

Ciron said they have asked for a thorough investigation in connection with their tardiness last Friday.

“The CAAP is now conducting an impartial investigation of the incident and those found liable would get administrative sanction,” he said.

Ciron said the five air controllers have been directed to report to the office of Zamboanga control tower chief Jose Tuclaod pending investigation of their actions.

He has required the airport manager, and the control tower supervisor to submit a written explanation of the incident, he added.  

It was the first time a flight failed to land because of the air traffic controllers’ tardiness, according to Zamboanga International Airport manager Celso Bayabos.