NAIA Holy Week passenger volume rises 12.7%

Passenger traffic at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport rose by 12.7% during Holy Week, with a record single-day volume logged on Easter Sunday, operator New NAIA Infra Corp. reported on Monday.

A total of 1.17 million passengers passed through the country’s main gateway from April 13 to 20, one of the busiest Holy Week travel periods in recent years. Of this, 156,635 travelers were recorded on Easter Sunday, April 20, alone.

International passenger traffic grew by 11.21%, while domestic traffic increased by 14.19%.

“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,” said NNIC President Ramon Ang.

Despite operating beyond its original design capacity, all NAIA terminals remained smooth and orderly throughout the period, NNIC said. The improved operations were credited to recent enhancements and the coordinated efforts of various agencies.

NNIC had earlier projected that over 1.18 million travelers would pass through the NAIA from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.

NNIC—a consortium composed of San Miguel Holdings Corp., RMM Asian Logistics Inc., RLW Aviation Development Inc., and Incheon International Airport Corp.—took over NAIA operations on September 14, 2024.

The takeover followed a P170.6-billion concession agreement signed with the Department of Transportation in March 2024. The deal granted NNIC operational control after it offered the highest revenue share to the government in the bidding process. — DVM, GMA Integrated News