Passengers remain affected by flight delays and long waits at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, as the facility recovers from a technical glitch on New Year’s Day that left thousands stranded.
Operations at Manila’s airport are expected to normalise by Thursday. And while delays are still occurring, there are currently no flight cancellations.
A power supply problem resulted in the airport’s traffic management system going offline for several hours on Sunday, affecting more than 65,000 passengers. The problem started on Sunday morning, when the Air Traffic Management Centre, which oversees all flights in Philippine airspace, lost communication, radio, radar and internet because of the power cut.
The country's Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista apologised for the inconvenience, saying the air traffic control system would be upgraded immediately and a backup system installed.
"This is [an] air traffic management system issue," he said in a media briefing. "If you will compare us with Singapore, for one, there is a big difference, they are at least 10 years ahead of us."
On Tuesday, passengers on flights to Manila from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Tokyo, Honk Kong, Taipei and Doha experienced delays, as did those on domestic services from Cotabato, Cebu City, Dumaguete, Panglao and Busuanga.
Flights departing from the airport have also been disrupted, with delays on services to Los Angeles, Tokyo and Abu Dhabi. Etihad Airways flight EY423, scheduled to depart from Manila at 5.35pm on Tuesday, is among those affected, according to the Manila airport's official schedule.
On the day of the power outage, Emirates flights were diverted to Hong Kong and experienced some disruption. However, none of the airline’s services were cancelled. Currently, Emirates flights are operating as normal, according to a representative, with flight EK332 scheduled to arrive in Manila at 4pm local time on Tuesday, as planned.
Cebu Pacific is still in the process of normalising its operations, according to its latest travel advisory. The airline cancelled a number of domestic services on Monday and was discouraging passengers from going to the airport in Manila, advising them instead to monitor the status of their flights online. The airline is offering refunds or free rebooking on all cancelled flights.
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):
Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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