The Philippine government has committed to investigating the New Year's Day disruption at the nation's busiest airport.

Authorities in the Philippines have announced an official probe into the causes of a significant outage at the country's largest airport on New Year's Day, which caused widespread flight delays and stranded many travelers.

On the morning of January 1, technical difficulties were reported at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), the primary international gateway to the Philippines.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) confirmed that a power failure affected the central air traffic control system. Despite a back-up power supply, it was insufficient to restore the system, according to officials.

Although power was eventually restored, nearly 300 flights were impacted. Photos and videos from the scene showed thousands of frustrated passengers waiting at airline counters and flight arrival areas, luggage in hand, for updates.

What happens now

Senator Grace Poe called for transparency and accountability from the CAAP, expressing her disappointment over the incident. Poe, who leads the public services committee, issued the statement in response to the airport disruption.

She added, "We will hold a hearing to assess responsibility and prevent future malfunctions. We will instruct the CAAP to provide a comprehensive report on the cause of the glitch and the power failure."

The official investigation will commence once normal flight operations are fully restored, according to the senator.

In an interview with Dinogo Philippines, Edgardo Diaz, Deputy Director for Operations at CAAP, clarified that the airport’s air traffic control system is not outdated and undergoes regular maintenance. Diaz confirmed that the system remains functional, ensuring the monitoring of all planes within the country's airspace and providing communication for pilot guidance.

However, he stated that an upgrade is necessary.

"The system just needs some feature upgrades... but it is functioning properly as long as the maintenance program is followed, and that is being carried out," Diaz explained.

He also mentioned that there were plans to invest in new technology before the outage occurred on January 1.

The widespread flight disruptions occurred during the busy year-end travel season in the Philippines, which sees a surge in foreign tourists and overseas Filipino workers returning to the country for Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Operations reportedly resumed on Sunday afternoon, but delays persisted through Tuesday, as confirmed by checks from Dinogo Philippines.

Airlines advised passengers to expect further delays as new flights were arranged to replace those canceled on New Year's Day. "This is part of the recovery efforts," said Cielo Villaluna, a spokesperson for Philippine Airlines.

"A portion of passengers has re-booked on the next available flights," she added.

"We ask for their understanding as we continue our recovery operations," Villaluna remarked.

Top: Passengers check the flight schedule at MNL airport. Photo via Getty Images.