Passenger influx in July seen

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported a surge in overseas travel in June and anticipates the trend to persist in July.

BI commissioner Norman Tansingco attributed the increase to families taking vacations abroad following the school year’s conclusion.

“There’s a clear sign of revenge travel after the pandemic,” Tansingco said. “Many families saw the opportunity to travel upon the school year’s end.”

The BI observed a rise in international departures from Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals compared to April and May 2024. Passenger departures reached 946,092 in April, 979,720 in May, and climbed to 1,072,651 in June.

To accommodate the anticipated influx in July, Tansingco advised international travelers to arrive at the airport early and check in at least three hours before their flights.

“We assure you that all our counters are fully manned, and our officers are working diligently to process everyone efficiently,” said Tansingco as he also expressed appreciation to the airport administration for its commitment to expand immigration areas and add more counters to facilitate smoother passenger processing.

Tansingco also announced that 35 new immigration officers have completed training at the Philippine Immigration Academy and are ready to be deployed to BI frontline offices.