Passenger volume at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) rose to 1.17 million during the Holy Week period from April 13 to 20, up 12.7 percent from a year earlier, the airport’s operator, New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC), said yesterday.
In a statement issued April 21, NNIC said the surge in the number was driven by double-digit growth in travel year-on-year, with domestic passenger traffic rising 14.19 percent and the volume of international travelers up 11.21 percent.
The highest single-day volume was recorded on Easter Sunday, with 156,635 passengers, while the daily average for the week stood at 146,611.
“This Holy Week showed how much better NAIA is becoming. We saw higher passenger numbers, but smoother and faster operations. That’s not by chance, it’s the result of planning, investment, and teamwork,” Ramon Ang, NNIC president, said. He also thanked the Department of Transportation, other government partners, the entire NNIC team and staff at NAIA.
“We’re just getting started, and we will keep working to build the airport our country deserves,” he added.
Despite NAIA operating beyond its original designed capacity, operations across all terminals remained smooth and orderly, NNIC said, saying this was made possible by the combined efforts of key agencies and operational improvements implemented in recent months.
NAIA’s ideal passenger capacity is 32 million, but the airport accommodated about 51 million passengers last year. This number is projected to rise by 5 percent to 54 million passengers this year, NNIC General Manager Lito Alvarez said.
Upgrades
Since NNIC assumed management of NAIA in September 2024, the company has introduced upgrades aimed at improving passenger flow and efficiency across the airport. These include the deployment of additional boarding bridges, modern security screening and baggage handling systems, expanded curbside areas, increased parking capacity, and designated pick-up areas for taxis and app-based transport, NNIC said.
Power reliability and terminal cooling systems have also been enhanced, while CCTV coverage now includes the entire baggage handling process to ensure better visibility and accountability, it added.
On-time performance
As a result of these combined efforts, the airport operator said NAIA recorded an on-time performance of 83.28 percent across all terminals throughout the Holy Week period — an indicator of smoother airport operations and more efficient turnaround for airlines.
NNIC said it is investing about P170 billion to modernize and expand NAIA over the next several years, in line with its commitment to transform the country’s main gateway into a more efficient, comfortable, and globally competitive airport.
