With "OPLAN Biyaheng Ayos: Semana Santa 2024," the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) is prepared to handle a surge in travelers this coming Holy Week.

From 24 March to 31 March, the airport authority expects more than a million people to transit through the four terminals of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Compared to the 926,755 passengers who traveled via NAIA from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday of last year, MIAA General Manager Eric Ines expects a 15 percent increase in passengers during Semana Santa this year.

According to GM Ines, 1,853,132 passengers, ranging from 128,000 to 138,000, have traveled through the first 14 days of March 2024 alone, with an average of 132,367 each day on both international and domestic flights (departure and arrival).

Passenger volume during Holy Week this year may approach 140,000 in a single day or nearly match the pre-pandemic Lenten season total of 1,126,501 over eight days, or 140,812 per day.

“Our domestic operations, in particular, have been consistently surpassing pre-pandemic flight movement and passenger volume. We anticipate travelers taking advantage of exploring local destinations, the ease and convenience of air travel, summer airline promotions, or simply vacationing and being with family during this time,” Ines said.

“We are prepared for this influx at our terminals, especially as Holy Week coincides with summer, historically a peak season for air travel,” he added.

For amenities and important facilities, such as backup systems and vital airport utilities, the airport chief ensures that there is enough manpower, equipment, and ideal working conditions.

Since 16 January 2024, monthly scheduled test runs have been conducted to assess the operational performance and guarantee the dependability of the standby generator sets that provide electricity to MIAA's essential facilities in the event of a Meralco power outage.

These facilities include the International Cargo Terminal, the MIAA Admin Building, and all four passenger terminal complexes.

A number of scheduled electrical maintenance tasks at NAIA Terminal 3 were also finished by MIAA in December 2023, with the goal of improving the overall dependability of the electrical systems at the biggest terminal.

The airport authority has also been working with Maynilad to ensure continuous water supply, and MIAA is replacing fan coils in terminal air conditioning units and doing regular inspections and maintenance of air handling systems to address El Niño's effects and rising temperatures.

In addition, amenities like "malasakit kits" will be accessible for travelers in the event that a flight is delayed, and all four terminals will have help desks to handle inquiries from the general public.

Important personnel have been assigned by MIAA to supervise these help desks in every terminal, and the management team will be adhering to a "no leave policy" on these days.

MIAA also adjusted the scheduled closure of Runway 06/24 for two consecutive Mondays and Wednesdays, notably 25 March and 27 March, and 1 April and 3 April, in order to accommodate the expected increase in flights during the Lenten season.

On these occasions, MIAA will only be closed for three hours, from 1:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m., instead of the normal five hours, from 12:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m., respectively.

The airport chief also emphasized MIAA's continuous collaboration with the government agencies within NAIA, including the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI), to oversee crucial choke points or lines and guarantee fully manned immigration counters and final security points.

Airline operators were also reminded to have backup plans in case of emergency, such as designating standby or spare aircraft for unanticipated issues; following the Air Passenger Bill of Rights when providing passenger care; assigning enough sweepers to identify passengers in immigration lines who need special attention; opening check-in counters earlier, if feasible; closing them on schedule; and guaranteeing that these counters are fully staffed at all times.

In addition, MIAA suggested that airlines, especially regional carriers, set up assistance desks in their local communities.

Additionally prepared to assist passengers at their own help desks in the NAIA terminals are the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) and other relevant government authorities.

To ensure the safety and security of all travelers and stakeholders, MIAA continues to coordinate with the PNP Aviation Security Group and local government units in Pasay and Parañaque.

For the traffic conditions at all NAIA terminals, the airport authority also coordinates them with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the LGU traffic management group to ensure smooth traffic flow on thoroughfares leading to and from the terminals.

Meanwhile, passengers are advised to arrive at NAIA at least three hours before their international departure and two hours before their domestic departure in order to avoid missing their flights.

A few airlines might recommend checking in earlier to avoid standing in line at the counters.

It is recommended that passengers who are just carrying handbags check in online or use the check-in kiosks.

Foreign travelers to the Philippines are urged to complete their eTravel registration online before arriving in the country in order to speed up their immigration and customs processes.

Philippine passport holders are also advised to use immigration e-gates upon arrival or make sure that they have already registered with e-travel 72 hours prior to their departure or arrival in the country to avoid inconvenience with their travel.

Public transportation is an option for travelers to and from NAIA.

They may find out more about these transit choices, as well as the places where they may pick them up and leave them off, at https://www.miaa.gov.ph and on MIAA's social media sites (@miaagovph).

MIAA also reminds passengers using airport-accredited transport as well as regular taxis to keep a copy of the dispatch slip.

This slip contains critical information about the taxi they are boarding, as well as important agency hotlines to contact in the event of any issues during the journey.