NAIA braces for biggest holiday rush

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is expecting a busy holiday season, with passenger numbers projected to rise about 5 percent to 2.55 million.

In a report on Monday, operator New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) said flyers are expected to flock to the airport from 20 December to 4 January, with more than 13,700 flights at Terminal 3 alone.

On Saturday, 171,306 passengers passed through NAIA—the highest single-day volume in its history—while 950 flights operated that day.

Terminal 3 alone handled over 90,000 passengers, the largest share among all terminals.

Despite the crowd, NNIC assured operations will run smoothly.

“Coordinated airside management involving gate allocation, airside control, and ramp operations helped manage aircraft movements and gate utilization under peak demand conditions,” the company said.

NNIC credited close coordination among government agencies and private-sector stakeholders for keeping things on track.

“The airport’s performance depends on multiple entities functioning as a single system, especially during peak travel periods,” it said.

To date, NNIC upgrades include new biometric immigration e-Gates, improved passenger processing systems, and expanded Terminal 3 spaces such as food halls and waiting areas.