A software glitch at the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines’ (CAAP) Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC) caused significant flight delays and cancellations at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other airports across the country today.
The issue was first noticed around 1200H PhST when long queues of departing flights began forming at NAIA (RPLL/MNL). Some flights were held on the runway for almost an hour. At 1233H PhST, a Twitter user reported that the captain of their flight announced the radar system at Manila Airport was down, causing departure flights to be canceled.
Yes, we are held in the aircraft for an hour now. The captain announced that the radar system of Manila Airport is down once again. Departure flights are now cancelled.
— Jimmy Mariano (@jimimariano) May 20, 2024
The CAAP issued an advisory at 1305H PhST confirming a potential problem with the ATMC software. The ATMC is a critical system responsible for managing air traffic flow, ensuring separation between aircraft, and providing navigational information to pilots. To prioritize safety, the CAAP implemented a contingency procedure, resulting in increased separation intervals between departing flights. This led to delays for both departing and arriving flights at NAIA.
At the time, departing flights had a separation of 10 minutes, as reported by the MIAA Command Center. However, the CAAP resolved the software issue at around 1340H, and normal flight operations were gradually restored.
Sources revealed that the glitch affected the ATMC’s Data Processing System (FDPS) which transmits flight plan information to air traffic controllers. While controllers could still see aircraft on their radar screens, they were unable to identify them properly due to the absence of flight/aircraft labels caused by the software malfunction. This caused delays in both incoming and outgoing flights.
The incident prompted AirAsia Philippines, Cebu Pacific, and Philippine Airlines to issue flight advisories, urging affected passengers to contact their respective carriers for updates and rebooking options.
Unfortunately, this incident caused delays for 38 domestic flights, 21 international flights, and 3 cancellations. However, all flights already airborne were able to land safely. According to a statement, CAAP is working to prevent similar issues in the future by upgrading the CNS-ATM system to include self-detection capabilities.
This is not the first time a technical issue has disrupted air travel in the Philippines. On 01 January 2023, a nationwide airspace glitch caused widespread flight cancellations and delays. In addition to Manila, several domestic flights across the country were also affected by today’s software glitch, experiencing delays or cancellations.
The CAAP is currently investigating the root cause of the software glitch to prevent similar incidents in the future. The incident serves as a reminder of the critical role technology plays in ensuring the safety and efficiency of air travel.