More than 1.17 million passengers passed through Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) during the Holy Week period from 13 to 20 April, according to the airport’s private operator, New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC).

In a report released Monday afternoon, NNIC said the passenger volume represented a 12.7 percent increase compared to the same period last year, making it one of the busiest Holy Weeks in recent years for the country’s primary gateway.

The NNIC reported that Easter Sunday saw the highest single-day traffic with 156,635 passengers, while the daily average for the week was 146,611, as both domestic and international travel experienced double-digit growth, with domestic passenger traffic rising by 14.19 percent and international passenger traffic increasing by 11.21 percent year-on-year.

Despite operating beyond its designed capacity, NAIA maintained smooth operations across all terminals with an 83.28 percent on-time performance rate. NNIC attributed this to recent upgrades and coordinated support from government agencies.

Meantime, the Bureau of Immigration increased personnel and opened more counters during peak hours as part of Holy Week preparations led by the Department of Transportation (DoTr) under Secretary Vince Dizon. Terminal improvements also helped expedite passenger processing and reduce congestion.

NNIC is investing about P170 billion to modernize and expand NAIA. The project was awarded to the company after a competitive bid that secured the government an 82.16 percent share in airport revenues, based on adjusted rates set by the DoTr and the Asian Development Bank.