MANILA: The Philippines’ main gateway scrambled to resume full services on Monday after a New Year power outage jolted its air traffic control and disrupted 300 flights, prompting calls from business leaders and a top senator for urgent action.
A failure of primary and secondary power supplies caused the outage at Ninoy Aquino airport, and it should take about 72 hours for airlines to normalize their operations, said Cesar Chiong, general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority.
There were 361 flights delayed, canceled or diverted to other regional airports on Sunday, affecting about 65,000 passengers, while may other flights were rerouted around Philippine airspace.
Chiong said the airport was handling a maximum of 15 flights per hour on Monday morning, down from the usual 20.
Several of the airport’s four terminals were crowded on Monday, with long queues of people trying to re-book flights while other weary passengers slept on chairs or on the floor.
“In the 24 hours that we’ve been waiting, we are now very exhausted from lack of sleep, my body is aching from all the waiting,” said Kirana Mangkabong, 32, an overseas worker.
The airport has been ranked among the world’s worst international gateways, with flight backlogs a regular occurrence and a history of upgrades being delayed or abandoned due to disputes between airport authorities and contractors.
Airports are being built in provinces surrounding Manila to relieve pressure, including in Cavite and in Bulacan, which is due to start operations in 2027.
The transport ministry has ruled out sabotage but vowed to investigate the airport chaos, which has renewed calls for existing gateway to be upgraded and better operated.
“The government should look at this wake up call to improve, either through public or private efforts, or a joint venture,” George Barcelon, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Reuters.
His flight from Dubai was affected, as was that of tycoon Manuel Pangilinan, who on Sunday said his flight from Japan had to turn back halfway through and tweeted: “Only in the PH. Sigh.”
Grace Poe, a former presidential candidate and head of the public services committee, called for a congressional inquiry into the incident, saying it was “a national security concern.”
Airport general manager Chiong said that the facility had introduced its own power system in 2018 but that on Sunday, both the main and backup systems failed.
Once connected directly to the regular commercial electricity, the systems experienced a power surge that forced equipment to shut down, including radar and communications, he said.
Joey Concepcion, a government business adviser, said authorities should revive a proposal for a consortium to modernize the airport.
“Any inefficiencies in the airport translate to big losses in business down the line and are felt throughout the country,” he said in a statement.
Philippines airport scrambles to restore normalcy after power cut
Philippines airport scrambles to restore normalcy after power cut
- 65,000 passengers impacted by outage
- Normal operations likely within 72 hours — airport
Palestinian envoy pledges return to UN’s founding ideals in his bid for presidency of General Assembly
- Riyad Mansour presents a vision for his candidacy grounded in the 3 core pillars of the UN: human rights, development, and peace and security
- World of today ‘needs more, not less, United Nations,’ he says. ‘It needs us to honor our commitments … uphold our responsibilities … respect the rules of international law’
As Palestine’s envoy to the UN, Riyad Mansour, launched his candidacy for president of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, he urged member states to recommit, at this time of growing global division, to multilateral cooperation, the principles of international law and the founding ideals of the UN.
Mansour, whose candidacy was endorsed by the UN’s Arab Group, presented a vision grounded in the three core pillars of the UN: human rights, development, and peace and security.
In his vision statement, he said: “The world we live in today needs more, not less, United Nations. It needs us to honor our commitments, not renege on them; to uphold our responsibilities, not abandon them; to respect the rules of international law, not grow accustomed to their breach.”
The 81st session of the UN General Assembly begins in September, and the election of its president will take place on June 2 in the General Assembly Hall at the UN headquarters in New York. In accordance with the established regional rotation of the position, the next president will be chosen from among the Asia-Pacific group of states.
Two others candidates have announced their intentions to stand so far: veteran diplomats Touhid Hossain from Bangladesh and Andreas S. Kakouris from Cyprus.
Mansour, who has served as the permanent observer of the State of Palestine to the UN since 2005, framed his candidacy through the lens of personal experience, describing himself as “a refugee, a migrant, the son of a steelworker,” who had lived through conflict, poverty and displacement.
“I know what it means when the United Nations is at its best, and I know only too well its shortcomings,” he said.
In his vision, Mansour reflected on the origins of the UN in the aftermath of a global conflict, describing the institution as a response to humanity’s “darkest moments” and a platform designed to replace war with cooperation.
He credited the General Assembly with enabling collective action that has delivered tangible gains, including advances in development, health, human rights and environmental protections.
“Together, we rejected the impulses of war and destruction and chose cooperation, common security and shared prosperity,” he said, citing milestones such as the Millennium Development Goals, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and international agreements on climate change, disarmament and gender equality.
Despite those achievements, however, Mansour warned that many pledges have not been kept and trust in the international system is eroding.
“Too many promises remain unfulfilled, and too much suffering continues,” he said. “The international order has grown increasingly uncertain, and the ideals of the United Nations are too often left unenforced.”
He cautioned against a return to a world in which “conflict prevails over dialogue” and “coercion replaces diplomacy,” arguing that the scale of present-day crises — from armed conflict and humanitarian emergencies to climate change and technological risks — requires a renewed, collective resolve.
“We cannot risk a return to a world where disorder undermines the rule of international law,” Mansour said. “We must rise above division and recommit to partnership.”
He called for reforms within the UN system itself with the aim of improving efficiency, inclusivity and engagement, saying that such changes were necessary to restore confidence in the organization’s ability to deliver peace and security.
“This moment demands engagement grounded in mutual interest and sustained by persistent action,” he said, adding that reform was essential “to restore trust in our United Nations and its enduring capacity to contribute to international peace and security.”
He described his vision as pragmatic rather than ideological, shaped by decades of multilateral diplomacy and a belief in the UN as “an anchor for a more peaceful and just world.”
He continued: “At a time of profound strain on the multilateral system, my vision seeks to mobilize member states and stakeholders to preserve and safeguard what we have accomplished, and to pursue progress with urgency, so that dignity, opportunity and hope are extended to all.”
The president of the General Assembly is elected annually and is responsible for presiding over its sessions, representing its decisions, and facilitating negotiations among member states.
