All flights to and from Manila suspended due to technical issues

Agencies | Manila                            

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com   

Technical issues involving navigational air traffic management systems prompted Philippine aviation authorities to halt all flights to and from Manila on New Year's Day, the airport authority said.

Emergency protocols have been put in place to address the situation and enable flights to resume as soon as possible, the Manila International Airport Authority said in a statement.

It was unclear how many flights were affected.

Philippine carrier Cebu Pacific said there was a power outage at the Philippine Air Traffic Management Center.

In an advisory, the low-cost carrier said it was offering passengers of flights scheduled between Sunday and 0400 GMT on January 2 "flexible options", including free rebooking and converting tickets into travel vouchers for future use.

Philippine Airlines said a number of flights were diverted, cancelled and delayed, advising travellers to check the status of their journey before proceeding to the airport.

"This is a temporary situation, and we will take all necessary steps to restore normal schedules and bring diverted flights back to their original destination as soon as possible," Philippine Airlines said in a statement.