Updated
By Hannah Torregoza, Charissa Luci-Atienza and Dhel Nazario
Seven international and 44 domestic flights were canceled yesterday at the main airport of the country as a as a result of excessive flight delays while the authorities took 36 hours to remove the demolished Xiamen plane from the runway at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Thousands of air passengers were stranded at the airports in the country and Senator Grace Poe said yesterday that a congress probe to explain why the removal operations of the stranded aircraft at NAIA was taking so long was imminent.
Senator Grace Poe (Senate of the official Facebook page of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN)
Catanduanes deputy Cesar Sarmiento expressed in The House of Representatives also expressed his disappointment at the airport's handler of the incident – which he described as a "nightmare" – and swore to have it investigated by the House Committee on Transportation, which he headed.
Poe, chairman of the Senate Commission for Public Services, said she would submit a resolution today, instructing her panel to inquire into the operational procedures of airport personnel in responding to such emergencies after the accident in Xiamen Air Flight MF8667 last weekend.
Poe said she is surprised why it took about 36 hours to remove a Chinese passenger aircraft from the main road of NAIA.
Hundreds of domestic and international flights were canceled for two days, while a number of flights were diverted to Clark or Cebu after a Xiamen Airlines flight took place during landing amid a heavy downpour on Thursday & # 39; midnight.
"Ano ba o meron nga afraid standard procedure sa mga ganitong aksidente? (What is the standard procedure for this type of accident?) This is not the first time an aircraft has slipped off the runway and it will certainly not be the last times, "said Poe.
"Bakit inabot ng dalawang araw bago magsimula ulit ang operasyon ng NAIA? Hindi ba kayang is not married yet and has a hindi gangong naperwisyo ang libu-libong pasahero? (Why did it take two days for NAIA to resume its activities? do not do this faster so that it does not interfere with thousands of passengers? "[Poor.]
Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Eddie Monreal, airline executives and some affected passengers will be invited Before the hearing, Poe said
"We will give the authorities of the airport time to have a full report on the effects of the closing of the runway during and after the incident," added Poe. "
" Bilang mambabatas, marami tayong nais bigyan ng pansin bukod sa pagsasagawa ng mga pagdinig Gayunpaman, hindi tayo puwedeng magbulag-bulagan sa pangyayarin g ito (as a legislator, we want to do something other than to hold a hearing, but we can not simply turn a blind eye to this incident), "the senator added.
She said the panel will also address Senate Resolution No. 782 that Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has filed regarding the status of Metro Manila airports and any governmental plans to modernize it to meet growing demand .
The Senator insisted on a statement from airport authorities and airline employees on how they dealt with the situation after comments and stories circulated on social media about the chaotic situation at the airport, even after the runway was reopened.
She said she wants to check the veracity of reports from social media, showing how passengers had to wait for seemingly endless lines and how some had to wait without food or water.
Flight information screens were also closed so that the airline's personnel were walking around with pieces of paper with the flight data to board.
Poe said she can not understand why airport staff allowed the NAIA to be so busy, and the apparent lack of policy to advise customers about the accident on the job.
She pointed out that as telecommunication networks can send Free warnings for mobile disasters, NAIA, must also send free canceled flight warnings for the passengers on their own initiative.
"The public deserves an acceptable explanation, which is important because NAIA remains the main gateway for foreign tourists in the country." Also note that NAIA works with overcapacity, built to carry around 30 million passengers, but offers currently about 42 million people, "said Poe.
The Senate probe will also address the status of the P350 billion plan by a private consortium consisting of seven conglomerates to rehabilitate and upgrade NAIA to the government in March last year, she said.
In a related development Sen urged. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan to airport officials and other related government agencies to resolve the situation at NAIA as quickly as possible, "especially for stranded passengers who are tired, sleepless and hungry."
"Does anyone have the lead? Thousands of passengers have been stranded at various airports across the country after a plane has jumped off the runway during a landing at Manila International Airport after 11 pm on August 16, "Pangilinan said.
"More than two days have passed, the plane has been removed from the runway but flights are still being canceled and diverted, and uncertainty, if not chaos, is not only affecting those in the Philippines at airports, but throughout the region , "he said.
What Rep. Sarmiento, such a wrong handling of the situation at the airport after the accident could be prevented.
"This could have prevented kung ang NAIA and other airports authorities, particularly the DOTr, from anticipating this specific incident, Yong mga slipping naman eh nangyayari naman yan, even in the past or even in other jurisdictions. don sa pagdating ng ganitong sitwasyon, immediate dapat ang responsing authorities para maiwasan, "he said in a radio interview.
He said it is necessary to conduct a study to ensure that such a nightmare will not happen again. [19659004] He noted that during their deliberations there was an unsolicited proposal to build an airport outside Metro Manila and increase the capacity of NAIA.
"My personal opinion on this is, even if we increase the capacity of NAIA, we will still encounter the same problem, not necessarily on capacity, but in and out of NAIA, so, ang pinaka practical after idea dyan ay to go outside to go (so the most practical idea is to go outside); create another airport paragraph (so that it will bring convenience and comfort and avoid traffic in Metro Manila, "said the house manager.
He suggested that the Clark Airbase should be addressed to those living in Bulacan and to the north or the "northern river basin." While those from Quezon City to Bicol or from the "southern basin" will be assigned to NAIA.
Sen Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito also urged transport personnel to create a "twin airport" system, entangled between Clark International Airport and the NAIA to solve air traffic congestion on the runways.
From now on, the senator said he believes that a "twin airport system" similar to Japan is being adopted for the convenience of air passengers.
"The accident at NAIA is already a signal for a new airport to be built, and the only international runway will not really work," Ejercito said in a text to reporters.
"At this point, the fastest solution for Manila airport problems is having a twin airport system between Clark and NAIA, just like Haneda & Narita in Tokyo," Ejercito emphasized.
Ejercito said that the government now has to decide where to build this airport and notes that the two previous administrations have already passed but that they have made no progress in making improvements on the runways of airports. 19659004] The senator also said that the incident also underlined the need to speed up the rehabilitation of the northern railway line from the Philippine National Railway (PNR) to Clark and the construction of the terminal building P12 billion.
"Need to fast track PNR North Railway to Clark and construction of the terminal building P12 Billion Kaya I've been consistently pushing both the railways and the Clark Airport," he said.
Canceled flights
The official flagship Philippine Airlines made further adjustments to its operations due to the reopening of the afternoon of the main course of Manila and the subsequent impact on flights and arrivals.
PAL has not operated certain flights on Sunday, such as PR104 / 105 Manila-San Francisco-Manila; PR418 / 419 Manila-Pusan-Manila; and PR654A Manila-Riyadh.
It also canceled domestic flights PR2993 / 2994 Manila-Zamboanga-Manila; PR2519 / 2520 Manila-Cagayan-Manila; PR2921 / 2922 Manila-Legazpi-Manila; PR2151 / 2152 Manila-Iloilo-Manila; PR2967 / 2968 Manila-Butuan-Manila; PR2557 / 2558 Manila-Dipolog-Manila; PR2889 / 2890 Manila-Ozamiz-Manila; and PR2203 / 2204 Manila-Roxas-Manila
On the other hand, the local airline Cebu Pacific has announced that the issuing of departures for domestic flights has been delayed due to the severe disaster in Manila.
As a result, the next Cebu Pacific canceled on Sunday domestic flights 5J 110/111 Manila-Hong Kong-Manila; 5J 196/197 Manila-Cauayan-Manila; 5J 321/322 Manila-Legazpi-Manila; 5J 637/638 Manila-Puerto Princesa-Manila; 5J 504/505 Manila-Tuguegarao-Manila; 5J 821/822 Manila-Virac-Manila; 5J 623/624 Manila-Dumaguete-Manila; 5J 781/782 Manila-Ozamiz-Manila; 5J 991/992 Manila-General Santos-Manila; 5J 651/652 Manila-Tacloban-Manila; 5J 385/386 Manila-Cagayan de Oro-Manila.
It has also canceled its flights 5J 110/111 Manila-Hong Kong-Manila; 5J 196/197 Manila-Cauayan-Manila; 5J 321/322 Manila-Legazpi-Manila; 5J 637/638 Manila-Puerto Princesa-Manila; 5J 504/505 Manila-Tuguegarao-Manila; 5J 821/822 Manila-Virac-Manila; 5J 623/624 Manila-Dumaguete-Manila; 5J 781/782 Manila-Ozamiz-Manila; 5J 991/992 Manila-General Santos-Manila; 5J 651/652 Manila-Tacloban-Manila; 5J 703/704 Manila-Dipolog-Manila; 5J 995/996 Manila-General Santos-Manila; 5J 483/484 Manila-Bacolod-Manila; 5J 785/786 Manila-Butuan-Manila; 5J 551/562 Manila-Cebu-Manila; 5J 655/656 Manila-Tacloban-Manila; 5J 479/480 Manila-Bacolod-Manila; 5J 861/862 Manila-Zamboanga-Manila; 5J 459/460 Manila-Iloilo-Manila.
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