Radar maintenance to cancel 200 plus PH flights from Mar 6-11

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Four airlines in the Philippines are cancelling more than 200 flights from March 6 to 11 due to a scheduled maintenance on the Tagaytay radar.

Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific, Cebgo, and Skyjet have cancelled 247 international and local flights to and from Manila during the weeklong scheduled maintenance of the Tagaytay radar, which covers 200 nautical miles of airspace and directs incoming flights from all over the world toward Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s (NAIA) radar. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) earlier said as much as 7,000 lights will be affected by the maintenance.

PAL, in an advisory, said affected passengers may avail one of the following options without penalties: rebook their tickets within 30 days from original date of departure without penalty provided within ticket validity; or refund their ticket in full; or re-route to the next alternative nearest point within PAL’s network.

Cebu Pacific, Cebgo, and Skyjet passengers, meanwhile, may avail any of the following options without penalties: rebook their flights for travel within 30 days from original departure date; or opt for full refund or travel fund.

Beginning 6:00 a.m. of March 6 to 6:00 a.m. of March 11, the Tagaytay radar will be shut down for the needed maintenance, leaving the country with only two operational radars—Laoag and Mt. Majic in Cebu. For passenger safety, flights will be reduced from 40 to 32 flights per hour, while general aviation will be reduced by 50%.

CAAP said the maintenance date was the result of its close coordination with airline companies, who also chose the dates considering their lean schedules.

The Tagaytay corrective maintenance covers the overhauling of antenna and replacement of its drive motor and rotary joint. Maintenance of radars are supposed to take place at least every five years, but the Tagaytay radar has not undergone maintenance since its installation in 2009.

Apart from scheduled maintenance, the Tagaytay radar is also being prepared to be integrated into the satellite-based Communications, Navigation, Surveillance / Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) system. This technology allows aircraft transponders to receive satellite signals and use transponder transmissions to determine precise locations of aircraft.

The CNS/ATM, which aims for an uninterrupted and seamless air traffic flow within the country and other regions, is the same technology being used in Australia, Taiwan, and other European states.

For a list of cancelled flights, go to:

PAL – www.philippineairlines.com/en/about%20us/newsandevents/tagaytay-radar-to-undergo-maintenance

Cebu Pac and Cebgo – www.cebupacificair.com/Pages/travel-advisory?tid=326

Skyjet – https://www.flyskyjetair.com/article/advisory/

Image courtesy of IceHawk33 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net