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Airport officials were expecting operations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA 3) to normalize Tuesday, after days of encountering a confluence of problems that stranded hundreds of passengers.

“Hopefully, there we be no more problems,” Tirso Serrano, assistant general manager for airport and corporate affairs of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), told ABS-CBN’s morning show, “Umagang Kay Ganda.”

Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific Air’s vice president for marketing and product, said postponed flights have left NAIA 3 on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning. She said some stranded passengers due to delayed flights over the weekend and on Monday were billeted to hotels near the international airport.

“There were no more cancellations. We expect the operations to normalize today (Tuesday,” Iyog said in a separate interview with Umagang Kay Ganda.

Serrano said the delay of flights, which angered hundreds of passengers, was a result of some operational “glitches.” He said such problems are expected in newly-opened international airports, even in other countries.

Iyog, meanwhile, explained that the delayed flights that started over the weekend were a result of a confluence of reasons, including their transition from the old terminals to the NAIA 3 and bad weather.

She added that two Cebu Pacific aircrafts also had to undergo maintenance repairs on Monday, which resulted in further delays.

Airport officials led by Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza and MIAA General Manager Alfonso Cusi started a twice-a-week meeting on Monday after experiencing the “birth pain” problems, Serrano said.

Serrano said assessments were made on Monday and they agreed that the NAIA 3 was only 70 to 80 percent ready for the international and domestic flights.

Even with the glitches, the airport official said the MIAA 3 could make up for its better preparations on the passengers servicing side. He mentioned a well-constructed passenger waiting areas and more comfortable facility.

The NAIA 3 started its international flights operations August 1. It’s soft opening last July 22 started with only eight domestic flights of the Cebu Pacific Air followed by the start of other domestic airlines — PAL Express and Air Philippines — last July 24.

“We would like to apologize for the problems caused by what we call birth pain troubles. We’re only on our fifth day,” Serrano said.

He said the airport management, together with the airlines at the new terminal, will “pick up the pieces” to improve their services.

“What’s important is we are able to join hands and address these glitches on a day to day basis,” he added.