NAIA bedlam hits OFW hard

Anarchy still Passengers including overseas Filipino workers form an unending queue as they wait for their flights at Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on the fourth day after operations were disrupted by a Xiamen airlines plane that skidded off the runway. Rafael Taboy

Four days after a Xiamen Air aircraft veered off the runway at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) causing the airport to suspend services, airline flights which resumed Saturday afternoon remained in disarray forcing passengers particularly overseas Filipino workers (OFW) set for deployment abroad to camp out at the nation’s prime gateway.

OFW which are the strongest political base of President Rodrigo Duterte were among the hardest hit by the utter confusion at the NAIA.

Some OFW slept on the floor despite an announcement of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) that airline flights have returned to normal.

The Xiamen airplane skidded off the runway and ripped off its left engine blocking off the NAIA runway.

OFW in the airport continue to wait for flights to be rescheduled while others wait in long lines at check-in counters.

OFW, who fear losing their jobs or being jailed for failing to return to their employers on time after the airport turmoil, have packed the airport.

Several passengers created makeshift beds through the combination of airport chairs, luggage and folded cartons. Some have been waiting since Saturday when MIAA announced “operations were back to normal.”

Some airlines booked stranded passengers on new flights but most of them scheduled late this week.

One of the affected OFW posted in social media that the “issue is not the runway accident but the epic failure of leaders to respond to the emergency.”

“They had no plan no nothing and they were hoping the problem will simply go away,” the message said.

“Granting for the sake of argument that the airlines are stupid and inept, that’s why there is government, there is MIAA management, there is the Department of Transportation,” another post read.

Airline companies and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) issued certificates to stranded OFW in a bid to free them from a liability as a result of the delayed flights.

OWWA administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said the certification will serve as evidence of the incident that stranded passengers at the NAIA.

“We will even look into or monitor the distribution of proofs or certifications from airlines to be handed over to OFW as proof so they can prevent repercussions from the delayed flights,” Cacdac said.

Some OFW who came from far provinces were temporarily granted accommodation at some hotels near the airport.

MIAA general manager Ed Monreal continue to blame unscheduled flights for the airport disorder. In a briefing, he said 61 recovery flights were not properly coordinated with authorities, leading to unending congestion on the runway.

The limited number of parking slots for aircraft also resulted in delayed flights to pile up. At least 69 flights were canceled on Sunday, affecting around 13,000 passengers.

Xiamen Air said in a statement it is cooperating with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and the Civil Aviation Administration of China to probe the cause of the accident.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) said 68 canceled flights affected 18,810 passengers while another 21 diverted flights affected 5,483 more.

Budget airline Cebu Pacific said it was assisting around 20,000 affected passengers from its cancellations and diversions, not including those affected by delayed flights.

Government authorities are now conducting a probe on the airport incident, Malacañang said.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said the government is now investigating the incident to determine if there is any liability on the part of the Xiamen pilot, who was asked not to leave the country pending probe.

“For me, it’s more than just apology because we’re now investigating if there’s any kind of liability that we can attribute to the pilot,” Roque said.

The Palace official then acknowledged the apology offered by Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade to airline passengers who were inconvenienced by the delayed flights.

“I hope that counts for something, that no less than the Secretary of Transportation has publicly apologized for the inconvenience caused to the public,” Roque said.

“It does not happen frequently at NAIA… So we could always learn from this experience,” he added, noting that better contingencies should be put in place by airport authorities in the future.

Roque assured the public that improvements in the country’s airports are well underway.

For one, he said the Department of Transportation (DoTr) had endorsed the upgrading of NAIA Terminals 1, 2 and 3, which would include the construction of additional runways and terminal buildings.

Roque added improvements in the Clark International Airport are also in full blast while approvals have been made for the proposed Bulacan airport project, apart from the finalization of some documents.

The House of Representatives transportation committee will investigate the NAIA mishap on 5 September.

Panel chair Rep. Cesar Sarmiento said an investigation will be done primarily on the MIAA which should give an explanation on the incident.

The lawmaker was also concerned on the possible economic repercussion and its effect on the tourism industry.

At the Senate, Sen. Grace Poe called for a separate probe on the standard procedure and contingency plans of NAIA on such incidences.

Sen. Richard Gordon said the incident drove home the need to fast-track the reopening of the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA).

“Airports are the country’s doorway to tourism, trade and investment. Thus, when flights are delayed or cancelled, it incurs cost, not only to passengers who are stressed and inconvenienced because they miss their work, classes or other appointments, but also to the airlines and companies doing trade and commerce,” he said.

Gordon pointed out that if the SBIA was already operational, flights could have been diverted to both SBIA and Clark International Airport (CIA) which would have mitigated the effects of the closure of NAIA’s main runway last 17 August.

The Philippine Airlines (PAL) expressed optimism that operations will “normalize” this week.

PAL spokesman Cielo Villaluna, in a radio interview, said that there were no immediate cancelations on Monday as PAL deployed planes to accommodate stranded passengers and the airline assisted 80 percent of those affected.

“It will normalize as the day unfolds,” said Villaluna. “Hopefully, within the week.”

Replacement flights included two to San Francisco and another two to Los Angeles, as Villaluna reminded travelers leaving Monday to anticipate large crowds at the NAIA, which reopened at noon Saturday.

Monreal added in a briefing while Xiamen Air representatives, in a meeting held Sunday, said expressed apology for what happened, he demanded that the airline issue a formal apology to all affected passengers, the Filipino people and the government.

Notably, in the briefing, all agencies sent representatives, led by Monreal, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines chief Capt. Dick Sydiongco and his spokesman Eric Apolonio, Atty. Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) deputy executive director Wyrlou Samodio, Cebu Pacific vice president for corporate affairs Paterno Mantaring Jr. and spokesman Ma. Rosario Lagamon, Philippine Airlines (PAL) senior vice president for corporate communications Josen Perez de Tagle and Arnel Ignacio, OWWA deputy administrator.

According to Monreal, while currently the efforts of the MIAA is mainly geared toward the resumption of full airport operations, the liability of Xiamen Air — which he described contained in a “long list,” will definitely not escape their attention.