Duterte inspects NAIA after weekend flight delays

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte conducted a surprise inspection at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport-Terminal 2 after reports of several delayed flights Sunday night.

Ground movement at the airport was suspended for hours Sunday evening due to a red lightning alert, the Manila International Airport Authority said in a statement.

"President Duterte talked to airline and NAIA officials regarding the cancellations and delays to know whether there are flight diversions and if affected passengers are given incentives to ease their inconvenience," presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.

According to Malacañang, a Philippine Airlines manager and a NAIA-Terminal 2 airport duty manager briefed the president on the flight woes.

The officials discussed the actions being undertaken to address the situation at the country's main gateway.

Duterte, on the other hand, talked about how flight aberrations could be minimized and how the Department of Transportation could address the issue, Malacañang said.

"He then talked to the passengers apologizing to them on the inconvenience caused by the disruptions. The president vowed to come up with a remedy within a month," Panelo said.

The MIAA confirmed that a red lightning alert was issued from 6:40 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. last Sunday. This alert suspended ground movement for ramp personnel and flights for at least 2.5 hours.

The alert is a safety measure to prevent any untoward incident from happening when bolts of lightning are prevalent in the immediate area, the MIAA said.

"The Manila International Airport Authority jointly with the airlines are exerting every effort to address the situation so that normal flight operations can resume as soon as possible," the MIAA said.

— Patricia Lourdes Viray