Several NAIA flights cancelled for navigational system transition

SEVERAL international and domestic flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) next week have been cancelled by airlines upon the request of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to give way to an air navigational system transition. In a statement on Thursday, CAAP said the affected flights are from Nov. 15 to 20. It said it asked local airlines and the Airport Coordination Australia (ACA) to reduce flights by at least four arrivals per hour from the usual 40 per hour for the transition. “The reduction of flights was decided as a safety measure as the old Manila ACC (area control center) radar, which has a limited capacity, undergoes a transition phase to the Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) system, which can cover the whole country,” it said. The P10.8-billion new air traffic system, inaugurated in January, is expected to help reduce congestion in the country’s airspace and improve air traffic management safety. CAAP said the CNS/ATM system will benefit more than 40 airports in the country. — Denise A. Valdez