‘MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING’: City Mayor to Summon CAAP on Repair-Driven Flight Delays

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor and Francis Allan Angelo

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas has called on the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to explain the cause of flight delays at Iloilo International Airport on Sunday morning, Dec. 22.

The cause of the delays: emergency repairs on the runway.

“I will ensure that accountability is upheld and that measures are implemented to prevent such incidents from happening again,” he said in a statement.

Although the mayor initially spoke as the city’s leader, he later clarified that he was acting in his role as Chairperson of the Infrastructure Development Committee of the Regional Development Council (RDC) 6.

It should be noted that city mayors do not have direct authority over national agencies like the CAAP, which operates under the Department of Transportation.

URGENT REPAIR FOR SAFETY

Had Treñas directly called CAAP or airport managers, he could have known that the temporary disruption was for the safety of passengers.

Arthur Parreño, Iloilo airport terminal supervisor, explained to Daily Guardian via phone call that the delays were caused by urgent runway maintenance, including clearing and patching to address a small pothole.

CAAP issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) at 7:00 a.m. to facilitate the repairs, which were deemed critical to ensuring passenger and flight safety.

“Maintenance was necessary to address runway issues and ensure that all flights operate without risk,” Parreño said.

Normal flight operations resumed at noon following mandatory inspections, including checks for Foreign Objects and Debris (FOD) that could endanger aircraft during takeoff or landing.

Treñas expressed frustration over the disruption, highlighting the significant inconvenience caused to travelers during the busy holiday season.

“Ilonggos deserve better. The airport is a critical gateway that impacts not only our connectivity but also our local economy and reputation,” he said in his Facebook account.

In November 2023, the infrastructure committee of the RDC approved a resolution seeking to “remove and replace” Iloilo Airport manager Manuela Luisa Palma and Engr. Eusebio Monserate Jr., acting area manager of the CAAP-6.