NAIA radar set for repairs

MANILA, Philippines - The radar at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport will be under repair for 30 hours starting at 1 p.m. on Oct. 23, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said yesterday.

In a notice to airmen, the CAAP said “general aviation flights” such as those made by cargo planes and small aircraft are prohibited at the NAIA Terminal 1 until 7 p.m. on Oct. 24.

The CAAP said these planes do not have modern instrument landing systems (ILS), with which most large aircraft are equipped, to make safe take-offs or landings without the guidance of NAIA’s radar.

Air traffic controllers will also limit the number of aircraft to 11 arrivals and departures per hour. “International flight schedules will be first priority for arrival and departure sequence,” the CAAP said.

The CAAP told members of the Airline Operators Council that it would be prudent to advise their head office to allocate extra fuel for Manila-bound flights affected by the radar outage to avoid flight diversions.