PASSENGER traffic at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is off to a strong start this Holy Week, with over 433,000 travelers recorded in the first three days of the travel period—up significantly from the same stretch last year.
From April 13 to 15, NAIA saw daily passenger counts of 150,511 on Palm Sunday, 142,560 on Holy Monday, and 140,407 on Holy Tuesday, according to the New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation (NNIC). These figures represent an increase of around 10 to 13 percent compared to 2024 levels.
But while passenger numbers rose, airport operations remained largely smooth and efficient, aided by early preparations and strengthened coordination among government and private stakeholders.
“This has been a strong start to the Holy Week period,” NNIC President Ramon S. Ang said. “We are especially grateful for the leadership and quick response of the Department of Transportation and the Bureau of Immigration, particularly in deploying more officers during peak hours.”
“Just as important is the cooperation we’ve seen from all our partners—MIAA, our regulator, the Office for Transportation Security, PNP-Aviation Security Group, Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Quarantine and all our airline stakeholders. Everyone has stepped up to make sure the passenger experience is smooth and efficient,” he added.
NNIC said airport traffic remained manageable across all terminals despite the rise in foot traffic. Additional personnel were deployed to manage vehicular flow and assist travelers, while passenger booths—manned by NNIC staff, medical personnel and security teams—were set up to enhance safety and convenience.
The Bureau of Immigration also sent more officers to NAIA’s immigration counters, which helped shorten lines and ease congestion, especially during departure rush hours. This included newly opened lanes at Terminal 3 dedicated to overseas Filipino workers.
On Holy Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon conducted an early morning inspection of Terminal 3 along with Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado, MIAA General Manager Eric Ines, and NNIC General Manager Lito Alvarez. The inspection, held at around 4:30 a.m.—a known peak hour—found that immigration counters were fully manned and operations were running smoothly.
Since then, NNIC said, monitoring reports have consistently shown smooth and efficient processing at Terminal 3, which typically handles the most passenger traffic among NAIA’s three terminals.
NNIC also addressed an earlier online report showing an image of sparse crowds at Terminal 3. It clarified that the photo was taken around 11 a.m. during non-peak hours and did not reflect full-day passenger traffic, which has been steadily increasing since Palm Sunday.
Ang also extended thanks to all frontline personnel working during the busy travel period.
“We also like to thank in advance all the men and women working across NAIA—our frontliners, operations teams, security, maintenance, and support staff—who continue to put in long hours and make personal sacrifices to keep things running during one of the busiest times of the year,” he said. “Even as the rush continues, their hard work behind the scenes is already making a positive difference for our passengers.”
More than 1.18 million passengers are expected to pass through NAIA from April 13 to 20, a projected 14-percent increase from last year’s Holy Week total.
