The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 experienced a period of limited power supply lasting over 3 hours on Wednesday due to a series of power fluctuations.
In a video posted by the Philippine News Agency, some passengers at NAIA Terminal 2 were seen using fans due to the loss of air-conditioning at the terminal.
According to the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), the power disruption, which primarily affected the air handling units at the departure area, began at around 11:00 AM.
The airport resorted to the use of generator sets at 12:15 PM until the power issues were ultimately resolved at 2:31 PM.
An evaluation by the terminal engineering team found that the terminal circuit breaker kept tripping due to high power loads caused by elevated heat outside.
“The engineering team recalibrated the circuit breakers and received instructions from MIAA General Manager Eric Jose Ines to investigate other potential causes for the breaker tripping,” the MIAA said.
Despite the power issue, normal airport operations continued at check-in counters, boarding bridges, baggage handling systems, and security screening facilities.
No flights were delayed or cancelled as a result of the incident, according to the MIAA.
To provide some relief to passengers and staff during the disruption, the airport positioned industrial fans throughout the terminal and bottled water was distributed.
“The airport chief extends his sincere apologies to the riding public for the inconvenience caused by the incident,” the MIAA release said, adding that comprehensive maintenance efforts will be undertaken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The power supply was fully restored after around 3 hours and 16 minutes. An investigation into the root cause of the circuit breaker issue is ongoing.
The power issues came amidst the increasing number of passengers flying in and out of NAIA for the Holy Week peak travel season.
According to data released by the MIAA, 387,296 passengers went through the airport from March 24 to 26, 2024. This represents a 15 percent increase in passenger count compared to the statistics last year.
The MIAA earlier reported that it expects more than 1 million passengers to fly through NAIA during Holy Week, prompting the agency to implement additional measures such as adequate staffing, coordination with utility providers, adjusted runway maintenance schedules, among others.
Part of the preemptive measures done by the MIAA were the scheduled maintenance and testing of backup power generators and air conditioning units.
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