NAIA Braces for Record Holiday Traffic, Cites Operational Improvements

NAIA Terminal 3 experiences a significant exodus of passengers as the airport anticipates a record 2.55 million travelers this holiday season.

NAIA Braces for Record Holiday Traffic, Cites Operational Improvements

By Bing Jabadan – TheNATIONWEEK.Com | December 23, 2025

MANILA, Philippines – Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is anticipating a surge in passenger traffic this holiday season, projecting a 5% increase to approximately 2.55 million travelers between Dec. 20, 2025, and Jan. 4, 2026, according to airport operator New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC).

The airport is also expected to handle over 13,700 flights, surpassing last year’s holiday levels, with Terminal 3 leading the anticipated growth across all terminals.

The forecast follows a record-breaking Saturday traffic (Dec. 20), when NAIA processed 171,306 passengers – the highest single-day volume in the airport’s history.

Flight activity also peaked that day with 950 movements.

“The strong holiday traffic comes as NAIA continues to operate beyond its original design capacity,” the NNIC said.

Despite the high traffic volume, the NNIC cited the stability of airport operations, attributing it to coordinated airside management such as gate allocation, airside control, and ramp operations.

The company highlighted the critical role of its airside operations teams in managing aircraft movements and optimizing gate utilization during peak demand.

It also highlighted the importance of close collaboration between government agencies and private-sector stakeholders in managing the surge, particularly in areas like air traffic flow, immigration processing, ground handling, and terminal operations.

The company emphasized that the airport’s performance relies on the seamless functioning of multiple entities as a single system, especially during peak travel periods.

Since taking over the airport operations over a year ago, the NNIC has implemented operational and facility upgrades that have contributed to improved passenger flow and system efficiency during peak periods.

These improvements include the rollout of new biometric immigration e-Gates and passenger processing systems, as well as the expansion of passenger spaces at Terminal 3, including new food halls and waiting areas.