The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on Friday announced that the scheduled airspace closure on May 17 will be shortened to two hours from the previously announced six hours.

In a statement, CAAP said that the airspace shutdown will be from 2:00 am to 4:00 am on May 17.

The closure of the Philippine airspace will give way for the agency’s corrective maintenance activity where it seeks to repair the automatic voltage regulator (AVR), replace the uninterruptible power supply (UPS), and upgrade the air traffic management system (ATMS) A/B power supply.

“As a result of coordination with stakeholders, CAAP already canceled the initial Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), and issued NOTAM B1553/23 as of today,” it said.

CAAP initially announced that the airspace would be shut down from 12:00 AM to 6:00 AM on May 17.

“We apologize for any inconvenience that this schedule change may cause, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work to maintain the recommended standards of air traffic management in the country,” the agency said, adding that it assures that it will take necessary measure to ensure the “safety and efficiency of air travel during the maintenance activity.”

On Wednesday, May 3, CAAP completed the first phase of the Air Traffic Management Center Corrective Maintenance Activity.