A fire in the power plant of Iloilo International Airport has caused all flights to and from the airport to be cancelled last Tuesday (May 1).

The fire started at around 4:35 p.m. and was put out immediately. Meanwhile, power was restored at 9 p.m. the same day.

As result, all airfield lighting systems were rendered out of service, forcing the cancellation of all night flights. At least 18 flights (9 Iloilo-bound and 9 Manila-bound) were scrapped.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, normal operations only resumed early Wednesday (May 2).

Officials said the airport’s uninterrupted power supply (UPS) suffered a short circuit that led to the fire. They said the sudden fluctuation in supply from Iloilo Electric Cooperative (Ileco) 1 might have caused the short circuit.

The power outage stranded thousands of passengers, raising the issue of the quality of Philippine airports once more.  Iloilo International Airport is the fourth busiest airport in the Philippines.