Anticipating approximately 150,000 passengers daily at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) this Holy Week, the Department of Transportation, New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) are collaborating to ensure the airport can handle the expected surge.
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said Monday that the agency is working closely with San Miguel Corporation and MIAA to monitor airport operations amid the anticipated traveler congestion.
Dizon said that additional personnel have been deployed to check-in counters to help manage potential long queues.
“As of now, the airport is quite busy — both domestic and international,” MIAA general manager Eric Jose Castro Ines said in a radio interview.
He assured the public that NAIA and MIAA are prepared for the expected 1.18 million passengers from 13 to 20 April, which represents a 14.23 percent increase from the 1.04 million recorded during the same period last year.
To accommodate the influx of travelers, airport restrooms are undergoing renovations to ensure cleanliness and availability.
“We opened a new extension of the immigration area for OFWs just last week. It’s new, we’ve added six counters,” Ines said.
Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport at least three hours before their scheduled international flights and two hours before domestic flights.
Authorities are also reminding travelers to double-check their flight details, ensure all travel documents are complete, and refrain from bringing prohibited items in both carry-on and checked baggage.