Technical glitches in Naia delays flights

MANILA — Flights in Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) were delayed after its control tower radars bogged down for at least an hour on Wednesday.

The shutdown of primary and secondary surveillance radars delayed seven arriving flights including one that was diverted.

The flight coming from Incheon, South Korea was diverted to the Clark International Airport because of the incident.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), the radars are used to detect and measure the position of approaching aircraft.

Because of its shutdown, the traffic controllers had to rely on radio communication and visual contact to guide the pilots for a safe landing.

CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio, meanwhile explained in a Philippine Daily Inquirer report that the incident was “just a minor computer glitch. Fluctuations occasionally happen. CAAP did not find any damage to the radars that caused them to bog down.”