Senate to summon airport officials over NAIA runway mishap

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Grace Poe on Sunday said she would file a resolution on Monday calling on the Senate to probe the runway mishap that paralyzed the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for 36 hours.

Poe, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services, urged airport authorities to explain why it took almost two days for them to remove a Chinese aircraft from the main runway of NAIA.

According to Poe, Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade, Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Eddie Monreal, airline executives and some affected passengers would be invited to the hearing.

The senator said she wants to know how airport authorities and airline employees managed the situation. She also wants the officials to clarify the “chaotic condition” after comments and stories circulating on social media showed the disorganized situation even after the runway was opened and airport operations resumed.

Poe cited that there were endless lines and passengers were made to wait without food or water.

“The public deserves an acceptable explanation. This is important, considering that NAIA remains the primary gateway for foreign tourists into the country. Note, also, that NAIA is operating at overcapacity. It was built to handle some 30 million passengers, but is currently accommodating around 42 million,” Poe said.

She also questioned why flight information displays were closed during the incident. She said this prompted airline staff to just walk around with pieces of paper with the flight details to call for boarding.

Mobile alerts on flight cancellations proposed 

She suggested free canceled flights alerts for passengers just like the free mobile disaster warnings initiated by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to resolve the issue of sudden cancellations.

“Bakit hinayaang dumami ang tao sa NAIA hanggang napuno ito? Wala ba silang polisiya na abisuhan ang mga customer kapag may ganitong insidente?” the senator lamented.

Meanwhile, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan also called on airport authorities to fix the situation, especially for the stranded passengers.

Pangilinan said that “more than two days have passed, the plane has been removed from the runway but flights continue to be canceled and diverted, and uncertainty, if not chaos, holds those not just in Philippine airports but all throughout those in the region.”

LIST: Domestic, international flights canceled on August 19

“We call on officials of the airport and other related government agencies to help resolve the situation ASAP, particularly for the stranded passengers who are tired, sleepless, and hungry. Special mention for our leaving or arriving overseas Filipino workers who may have to pay for the delay in terms of visa fees, foregone work days, or even canceled job contracts,” Pangilinan said.

Poe said these are among the things she wanted to address in the hearing into the runway mishap.

Procedures for airport emergencies questioned

She said she would direct the Senate committee on public service to determine the operational procedures in responding to such emergency situations at the NAIA.

“Ano ba o meron nga bang standard operating procedure sa mga ganitong aksidente? This is not the first time that a plane has skidded off the runway and it certainly won't be the last. Bakit inabot ng dalawang araw bago magsimula ulit ang operasyon ng NAIA? Hindi ba kayang gawin ito nang mas mabilis para hindi gaanong naperwisyo ang libu-libong pasahero?” Poe asked.

Poe said officials would be given time to report the effects of the runway mishap, during and after the incident.

The senator added that the probe would also discuss Senate Resolution No. 782 filed by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian on the status of Metro Manila airports and the government’s plans, if any, on modernizing them.

Poe said she also “wants to know the status of the P350 billion plan of a private consortium composed of seven conglomerates to rehabilitate and upgrade NAIA submitted to the government last March.”

At least hundreds of domestic and international flights were grounded for two days while a number of flights had been diverted to Clark or Cebu after a Xiamen Airlines flight skidded while landing on Thursday evening. The aircraft was stuck as the mishap occurred while there was a bad weather.

Tugade earlier said the unfortunate runway closure was an “eye-opener” that should encourage the government and airlines to improve procedures. — Rosette Adel