On 01 January 2023 (New Year’s Day), the Philippine airspace experienced a widespread blackout that affected several flights and caused significant disruptions. The exact cause of the blackout is not yet known, but the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) is blaming a faulty Uninterruptible Power Supply/Source (UPS) that led to a series of misfortunes that day, which happened to be a non-working holiday.
Timeline of Events
Based on available information passed on to us by aviation authorities and some found online (from reliable sources), here’s a quick timeline of events last 01 January 2023 (all timings are GMT+8):
0905H – the technical issue (unknown yet by this time) was first detected at the Philippine Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC). The ATMC is inside the CAAP Complex in Pasay City.
1051H – CAAP issues NOTAM B0007/23 advising all airmen that the following radio frequencies are unserviceable due to technical issues: 120.5 MHz, 119.3 MHz, 118.9 MHz, 132.5 MHz, 124.9 MHz, 125.7 MHz, 132.7 MHz, 128.7 MHz, and 128.3 MHz.
1059H – CAAP issues NOTAM B0009/23 advising all airmen that Manila and Manila 2 Primary Surveillance Radar (PSR) are unserviceable due to technical issues.
1100H – CAAP issues NOTAM B0010/23 advising all airmen that Manila and Manila 2 Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) are unserviceable due to technical issues.
1112H – CAAP issues NOTAM B0011/23 advising all airmen that Manila Approach radio frequencies 121.1 MHz, 124.8 MHz, 119.9 MHz, 119.7 MHz, and 127.7 MHz are unserviceable due to technical issues.
1138H – CAAP issues NOTAM B0012/23 advising all airmen that Manila RDO Southeast Asia (SEA-2) radio frequencies 3485 KHz, 5655 KHz, 8942 KHz, 11396 KHz, and 13309 KHz; plus Central West Pacific (CWP) radio frequencies 2998 KHz, 6532 KHz, 6562 KHz, 8903 KHz, 13300 KHz, and 17904 KHz are unserviceable due to technical issues.
1204H – We tweeted that there is an ongoing technical issue at the Manila Radar (ACC) with several international and domestic flights to Manila having been canceled or diverted to other airports. The Philippine airspace is almost completely empty by this time.
1354H – The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) issues a press release saying that all flights to and from Manila are on HOLD due to technical issues at the Air Navigation Facilities of the CAAP.
1600H – the Philippine Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC), which houses the equipment to the CNS/ATM System, resumed partial operations with limited capacity according to CAAP.
1655H – Philippine Airlines flight PR222 from Brisbane, Australia was the first to land after the closure of airspace according to CAAP.
1733H – Cathay Pacific flight CX930 was the first flight to take off at the NAIA upon resumption of ATMC operations according to CAAP.
1750H – normal operations have resumed at the ATMC according to CAAP.
What Really Happened According to CAAP?
A press conference was called by the Department of Transportation (DOTr), CAAP, and MIAA at around 2000H on Sunday, 01 January 2022. From the presscon, we got the following information:
- More than 60,000 passengers were affected by the flight disruptions brought about by the power outage at the ATMC.
- More than 300 flights were canceled in Manila (RPLL/NAIA).
- The power source of CAAP’s CNS/ATM System failed.
- The CNS/ATM System has two (02) power sources: (1) commercial power from MERALCO, (2) plus two (02) backup power units in the form of an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS).
- One of the UPS units bogged down bringing the entire power system (including commercial power) to fail.
- CAAP tried to bypass the system, which then resulted in a power surge (over-voltage from 220V to 330V), which caused the shutdown of the CNS/ATM System.
- Without the CNS/ATM System, CAAP will not be able to monitor all flights over the Philippine airspace, which is why they decided to close the Philippine FIR (Flight Information Region) to all aircraft (including those which overfly our airspace).
- CAAP managed to reactivate their Tagaytay radar facility while troubleshooting happens at the Pasay facility.
- Partial resumption of flights was allowed at around 1600H. Full (almost) operations were back at around 2000H.
- The CNS/ATM System was down for +/-10 hours on 01 January 2023.
- DOTr stressed the need to upgrade CAAP’s current CNS/ATM System.
CAAP officials stressed that all airports in the country were affected by technical issues, not just the NAIA (MNL).
What is the CNS/ATM System?
The CNS/ATM (Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management) system is a complex network of technologies, procedures, and infrastructure that is used to manage and control air traffic in the airspace of a country or region. It includes a range of equipment and systems for communication, navigation, surveillance, and air traffic management that are used to ensure the safe and efficient movement of aircraft.
The communication systems in the CNS/ATM system allow pilots and controllers to communicate with each other and with other aircraft in the airspace. Navigation systems help pilots determine their position, altitude, and heading, and they provide information about the location of other aircraft and obstacles in the airspace. Surveillance systems, such as radar and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), are used to track the location and movement of aircraft in the airspace. Air traffic management systems provide controllers with tools and information to help them manage the flow of traffic in the airspace and ensure the safe separation of aircraft.
The CNS/ATM system is an essential component of modern aviation, and it plays a critical role in maintaining safety and efficiency in the air. It is constantly evolving, with new technologies and procedures being developed to improve its capabilities and performance.
Importance of Air Traffic Control
Air traffic control (ATC) is an essential component of the aviation industry, and it plays a critical role in ensuring the safety and efficiency of air travel. Air traffic controllers are responsible for directing the movement of aircraft in the airspace of a country or region, and they use a range of technologies and procedures to monitor the location and movement of aircraft, to provide pilots with information about weather and other conditions that may affect flight, and to help controllers manage the flow of traffic in the airspace.
The primary role of air traffic control is to ensure the safe separation of aircraft and to prevent collisions in the airspace. To do this, controllers use a variety of techniques, such as issuing instructions to pilots, providing them with information about other aircraft in the area, and using radar and other surveillance systems to monitor the movement of aircraft. In addition to ensuring safety, air traffic control is also responsible for optimizing the flow of traffic in the airspace, which helps to reduce delays and improve efficiency.
Overall, the importance of air traffic control in aviation cannot be overstated. It plays a vital role in ensuring the safety and efficiency of air travel, and it is an essential component of the modern aviation system.
Our Take on the Incident
Sabotage?
Anything is possible. An incident could potentially be the result of sabotage if it was deliberately caused by someone with the intention of disrupting or damaging the system, process, or organization.
However, it is important to note that there could be many different causes for an incident, and it is not always clear or easy to determine the exact cause or motive. In order to determine whether an incident was the result of sabotage, a thorough investigation would need to be conducted to examine all of the available evidence and determine the most likely cause.
Was it a Cyber Attack?
Was a cyber attack caused the power outage at the CAAP facility? Possible! Even DOTr Secretary Jimmy Bautista said that they are not ruling out the possibility of an external attack that has caused the incident.
Ever heard of SCADA?
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) is a system of software and hardware components that enable organizations to remotely monitor and control industrial and infrastructure processes. SCADA systems are used in a variety of industries, including energy, water and waste management, transportation, and manufacturing. They typically include sensors and other field devices that collect data from the process being monitored or controlled, as well as control systems and human-machine interfaces that allow operators to monitor and manipulate the process. These systems can be used to control processes locally or remotely, and they can be integrated with other systems, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and asset management systems, to provide a more comprehensive view of operations.
SCADA systems have been vulnerable to hacking and other cyber attacks for many years. One of the most well-known instances of SCADA systems being hacked occurred in 2010 when the Stuxnet malware was discovered. Stuxnet was a highly sophisticated piece of malware that was specifically designed to target and infect SCADA systems that were being used to control industrial processes, including nuclear facilities. The malware was able to exploit vulnerabilities in the SCADA systems to gain access and manipulate the processes being controlled, causing significant damage in some cases.
Since the discovery of Stuxnet, there have been numerous other instances of SCADA systems being hacked, including the Ukraine power grid hack in 2015, the TRITON malware attack on a petrochemical plant in 2017, and the HAFNIUM attacks on U.S. organizations in 2021. These attacks have highlighted the need for organizations to take steps to secure their SCADA systems against cyber threats.
What’s the chance of CAAP using a system similar to SCADA to monitor the power systems at the ATMC?
Pass the Philippine Transportation Safety Board Bill now!
Will someone from the Senate and House of Representatives revive the vetoed “Philippine Transportation Safety Board” bill?
The proposed Philippine Transport Safety Board (PTSB) should have been the government agency responsible for investigating transportation accidents and incidents in the Philippines. Part of its mission is to identify the cause of transportation accidents and incidents and to make recommendations to prevent similar accidents and incidents from occurring in the future. The PTSB will investigate accidents and incidents involving various modes of transportation, including aviation, maritime, rail, and road. It will work closely with other government agencies and stakeholders to promote transportation safety in the Philippines.
However, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. has vetoed the bill in July 2022 citing that the proposed transportation safety board’s functions are already being undertaken by agencies under the Department of Transportation, the Philippine National Police, and the National Bureau of Investigation. The office of the President also said that this administration is focusing on government rightsizing, which aims to attain bureaucratic efficiency.
Why Do We Need a National Transportation Safety Board?
The proposed Philippine Transport Safety Board (PTSB) will be an independent, neutral, and unbiased organization that plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of the country’s transportation system.
From what we know, the proposed PTSB is to provide assistance to the families of victims and to help them understand the circumstances surrounding the accident. The proposed agency will also work with the media and the public to provide accurate and timely information about the investigation.
In addition, the PTSB plays a key role in the country’s transportation safety regulatory process. It provides technical assistance to the government and industry stakeholders in the development of safety regulations and standards.
Overall, the Philippine NTSB is an important component of the country’s transportation safety system. Its investigations and recommendations help to improve the safety of the transportation system and protect the lives of passengers and employees.