Record-breaking numbers by NAIA

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport saw record-breaking flight movements by the end of 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, the year prior to the catastrophic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the aviation market, passenger volume reached 95 percent of the total.

A total of 279,953 flights, comprising 171,605 domestic and 108,348 international flights, were reported in 2023 by the Manila International Airport Authority, which manages NAIA. Compared to the 221,595 flights in 2022 and the 271,535 flights registered in 2019, this is a 26 percent increase.

MIAA acting general manager Eric Jose Ines expressed his satisfaction with the robust flight movements, particularly in domestic operations, stating, "In terms of domestic flights, we're recording 12 percent more than in 2019. This strong domestic rebound is not only a testament to the resilience of our local aviation industry but also reflects the support of travelers in revitalizing our domestic tourism sector."

"We have also returned international flight operations to 91 percent of pre-pandemic levels. We are encouraged by the renewed confidence in air travel, reaffirming our collective efforts to steer the aviation sector back to pre-pandemic levels. This is a significant step towards normalcy in global air travel," Ines added.

Furthermore, MIAA effectively met its yearly target by overseeing 45,385,987 passengers at NAIA, comprising 20,498,830 international and 24,887,157 local travelers. This constitutes 47 percent more travel than the 30,943,105 passengers of the previous year and 95 percent of the 47,693,203 passengers projected for 2019.

The acting airport chief also said, "Domestic borders were the first to open up after the Covid-19 restrictions. This has substantially boosted domestic tourism, as it is easier for passengers to travel to domestic destinations compared to international ones. With global borders opening up, international travel is rebounding, and it's only a matter of time before we reach pre-pandemic levels for international flights and passengers."

In 2023, December logged the most flights with 25,779, while July had the most passengers with 4,185,555.

Anticipating continued growth in the aviation sector, MIAA has moved to better manage the spike in flight movements and passenger numbers. One initiative to optimize the capacity of the four NAIA terminals was the Schedule and Terminal Assignment Rationalisation plan, which involved reassigning certain airlines to different terminals.

Additionally, because of the Airport Integrated Command and Control Center's effective schedule management, MIAA can accommodate a total of 800 flights departing and arriving at NAIA in a 24-hour period.

Further improvements in facilities, infrastructure, equipment, runways, and terminals are expected to accommodate the increasing number of passengers and flights in the coming years, eventually handling up to 62 million passengers per year, with the NAIA Public-Private Partnership Project currently under bidding.

"In light of the initiatives we are implementing, we can assure the public that we have their enhanced experience in mind. We're pleased to say that we're on target for delivering a better NAIA experience moving forward," Ines added.