Grab to offer free shuttle rides from NAIA to One Ayala on Dec. weekends

Grab Philippines on Tuesday said it will deploy free airport shuttle rides from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) across weekends this December, in a bid to ease congestion as it said customers may face difficulties in getting a ride given the higher seasonal demand.

In an advisory, Grab Philippines said the free airport shuttles will bring passengers from the NAIA Terminal 3 to the One Ayala public transport terminal in Makati from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. from December 5 to 8, 12 to 16, and 19 to 22, 2025.

“This holiday season will be a challenge, as in previous years. We are facing a slew of macroeconomic factors, from an uptick in holiday demand that challenges the supply of vehicles to the traffic conditions of the metro,” Grab Philippines general manager Ronald Roda said.

“There will be moments when getting a ride feels harder than usual, but we promise to do our absolute best to be better than last year. We have been preparing since the start of the year to ensure our services remain accessible enough to help every Filipino make their holiday celebration complete,” he added.

This comes as the company said trip completion times have already increased by an average of 20% to 25% during peak hours, compounded by an expected 36% spike in demand for ride-hailing services in the fourth quarter.

“We have been working to make airport operations more efficient, especially now that the holidays bring in so many travelers. That’s why we appreciate Grab stepping in to help further strengthen our transport options,” New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) general manager Angelito Alvarez said in the same statement.

Grab Philippines is also banking on its Group Rides feature which allows a host to share a link with three passengers and depart or arrive together in a single GrabCar; and its Sabay Sakay carpooling service in the Pasig-Makati and Pasig-BGC corridors. —Jon Viktor Cabuenas/RF, GMA Integrated News