Manila airport: 59 flights delayed at NAIA, false file alarm blamed

Manila: As flight operations resumed to normal following restrictions over the weekend due Typhoon Uwan (Fung wong), operations at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) were abruptly disrupted in the early hours of Tuesday.

The reason: a false fire alarm at the Air Traffic Management Center of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) in Pasay City.

The incident occurred around 1:24 am, immediately prompting CAAP to activate contingency plans and temporarily suspend all departures as a precautionary measure, according to the agency. ​

Normal airport functions resumed at 2:50 a.m. as it became clear there was no fire threat, and all operational restrictions were fully lifted by 3:16 am.

In a statement, CAAP confirmed that “a total of 59 commercial and cargo flights were delayed by an average of 45 minutes before being cleared for departure,” with seven arriving flights also affected by the disruption.

Authorities have yet to clarify what set off the false alarm, and an internal investigation is underway to determine the cause and prevent similar occurrences in the future.

Despite the chaos, CAAP Director General Raul Del Rosario praised the professionalism and rapid response of air traffic controllers, emphasising that flight safety was not compromised at any stage: “This incident underscores our continued commitment to maintaining the highest standards of aviation safety and readiness,” Del Rosario said in a statement.​

The event highlighted both the strengths of current aviation contingency protocols and the vulnerabilities still present in complex systems, offering a sharp reminder of the importance — and challenges — of maintaining absolute safety in one of Southeast Asia’s busiest air hubs.