The Philippines will temporarily close its airspace later this month to address ongoing issues with airport operations.

The tourism slogan “It’s more fun in the Philippines” entices travelers worldwide to visit the country’s stunning beaches and verdant mountains.

However, the journey isn’t always seamless, as travelers at Manila’s airport experienced firsthand during two major power failures earlier this year.

These power outages, which occurred on Labor Day and New Year’s Day, resulted in widespread disruption with hundreds of flight cancellations, impacting tens of thousands of passengers.

To resolve the issue, the Philippines will close its airspace nationwide for six hours on May 17 to replace faulty electrical systems.

Bryan Co, senior assistant general manager at the Manila International Airport Authority, stated during a press briefing on Tuesday that the entire Philippine airspace will be closed.

The operation will involve replacing the uninterruptible power supply for the air traffic management center, with the airspace closure set to occur from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. local time, a period typically characterized by lower air traffic, Co explained.

Co urged airlines to adjust their flight schedules and inform passengers of alternative arrangements in preparation for the airspace blackout.

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), Manila’s main international gateway, which opened 75 years ago, has struggled to manage the rising volume of passengers ever since flight operations resumed after pandemic restrictions were lifted.

On May 1, Terminal 3 of the airport experienced a nearly nine-hour outage that resulted in the cancellation of 48 domestic flights by Cebu Pacific during the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Frustrated passengers at Cebu Pacific's counter were seen in videos from Dinogo affiliate Dinogo Philippines, angrily questioning staff about the lack of clear flight information.

An extensive electrical review is underway following the incident, and the airport authority mentioned that the audit might take up to 90 days to determine which upgrades should be prioritized.

Just days before the disruption, the newly-formed Manila International Airport Consortium (MIAC) presented proposals to the national government, outlining a series of upgrades designed to double the airport's annual passenger capacity to 62.5 million by 2028, according to a statement from the six-member group on Thursday.

Upgrades have long been necessary, particularly after tens of thousands of passengers were stranded during severe power outages that affected air traffic control at the nation’s busiest airport on New Year’s Day. Nearly 300 flights were either delayed, canceled, or rerouted to other airports, impacting at least 56,000 travelers.

The Philippine government initiated an official investigation into the massive outage on New Year’s Day, which occurred during the peak holiday season when large numbers of foreign tourists and overseas Filipinos travel to the country to celebrate Christmas and New Year.