The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) is prepared to cut flight disruptions after a software glitch from an ongoing systems upgrade halted flights at the country’s busiest airport for a few hours on Monday (May 20).
CAAP director general Capt. Manuel Antonio Tamayo told InsiderPH that the air traffic systems at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport encountered “software glitches” amid the current upgrade being conducted by French aviation technology giant Thales.
“We contracted Thales to implement upgrades, with completion expected in September this year,” Tamayo said in a text message.
He said the upgrade was long overdue due to the expiration of the warranty.
While improvements are ongoing, Tamayo said their air traffic controllers “are ready to implement the traditional way of controlling flights” in place of the modern Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management system.
“It was briefly implemented [on Monday],” Tamayo explained.
“CAAP is beefing up on fast-moving parts, performing preventive maintenance, and conducting daily mandatory checks,” he added.
He said the next project after the software update is the upgrade of hardware within a year or two.
Miguel R. Camus has been a reporter covering various domestic business topics since 2009.
