By Romeo Braceros Jr.

As a result of flight cancellations brought on by a technical problem at the Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC) at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on January 1, thousands of passengers from numerous airline companies were left stranded at Davao International Airport (DIA).

According to the situational report, the DIA provided it at 5 p.m. The 16 flights that were canceled as of January 1, had an overall impact on 2,205 passengers.

The affected passengers on the aforementioned number of flights were 1,987 on 14 domestic flights and 218 on two overseas flights.

Some passengers were still waiting outside the airport as of this writing, expecting that the problem would be resolved even though various airline firms had previously released their statements regarding the rebooking of the trip.

Before the event, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) expressed regret to all affected airline customers whose domestic and international flights were delayed.

In their statement, CAAP stated that the agency prioritizes passenger safety and that it is preferable to hold the aircraft on the ground to prevent flying accidents.