Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said on Tuesday that the Manila International Airport Authority will conduct a “full electrical audit” of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals to avoid future power interruptions in the country’s main international gateway.
According to Bautista, the last electrical audit was done sometime in 2017, and the recommendations were not implemented, hence a new audit is necessary.
In a radio interview, MIAA Assistant General Manager Bryan CO also said MIAA will ask the government for a P1-billion budget for the purchase of power generators that will supply electricity to four NAIA terminals in case there is a power failure.
Co added that Bautista asked MIAA and power distributor Meralco to form an independent task force to investigate if there was sabotage behind the power outage at the NAIA Terminal 3 on 1 May 2023. The inquiry will tap the services of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.
The power outage resulted in the cancellation of 48 domestic flights by Cebu Pacific and delays by some international flights, with over 9,000 passengers affected, MIAA General Manager Cesar Chiong said Monday.
Meralco and MIAA were able to restore regular power at around 8:46 a.m. According to Engr. Noel Espiritu of Meralco, the power outage was caused by either faulty wiring or a short circuit.
Bautista apologized to the affected passengers, who were provided water and food through the MIAA.