z Asia Pacific Region // focus on the philippines
IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON PHILIPPINE AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT z by Renz Marione Bulseco, Air Traffic Controller, Davao Approach Control (RPMD)
The Air Traffic Service of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) officially inaugurated the Philippine Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC) in August 2019. The new ATMC is part of an effort to integrate systems of the approach control and en route facilities of the country. The new integrated system addresses the increasing demand for air travel in the country. On 12 March 2020, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte halted domestic land, sea, and air travel to and from Manila beginning on 15 March 2020. The national capital region of the Philippines and the greater Manila area were under an extensive community quarantine to curb the
spread of COVID-19. International flights to key cities in the country had followed as well. While the government has advised everyone to stay at home, it was an entirely different story for air traffic controllers, albeit with the new safety procedures and health protocols mandated by the Department of Health.
hours straight, and the remaining days of the week will be either a day off or a work-from-home setup to meet the required 40-hour workweek. ATCs on duty are required to wear face masks and to observe social distancing and frequent hand washing to minimize the spread of the virus.
When all domestic flights and most international flights were halted, air traffic volumes were reduced by more than 90%. Due to the low volume of air traffic across the country, the Air Traffic Service of CAAP reformulated the new working schedule to ensure that there would be fewer ATCs reporting for duty on a given day. Pre-COVID, air traffic controllers in the Philippines worked 40 hrs a week with two days off. During the pandemic, we have been required to work 24
Since there is a surplus of air traffic controllers, CAAP has announced that it will suspend the recruitment of new air traffic controllers. We are currently in a situation where we encounter a surplus of air traffic controllers to cope with the limited demand, and it is still unclear how the demand for air travel will recover. Aviation experts estimate that it could take at least 12-18 months before we get back to at least 80% of the peaks we saw in 2019. Therefore, there could be less demand for air traffic controllers in the country for a few years to come.
Photo: Shutterstock
The COVID-19 pandemic is 'The Big One' that we never anticipated. It caught us off guard. Nevertheless, the Air Traffic Service has crafted new procedures to handle situations like this global pandemic. These procedures ensure the safety of our aircraft as we mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The air traffic service has never ceased to provide air traffic service to help flights safely carry stranded locals and Overseas Filipinos (OFWs) and essential goods. y
rmbulseco@gmail.com
THE CONTROLLER
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