NAIA on track to reach record-high passengers

January 1, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is on its way to surpassing its record number of passengers in a year, thanks to the booming travel demand and new routes from airlines.

Based on data from NAIA regulator Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), the airport grew its passenger volume by 11 percent to 45.63 million between January and November 2024, from 41.2 million the previous year.

At this rate, NAIA is on track to turn in a new all-time high in passenger footprint, especially as December registers the highest number among all months.

NAIA saw its busiest year prior to the pandemic in 2019, when the gateway facilitated the flights of 47.9 million passengers. Since then, the airport, despite its flaws, has regained its footing as one of the busiest in Southeast Asia.

Between January and November 2024, domestic passenger traffic rose by eight percent to 24.48 million, propelled by the desire among Filipinos to swing by local places and try new adventures. International passenger volume also surged by 14 percent to 21.15 million.

International passenger demand was slow to pick up in the pandemic aftermath, but registered its strongest rebound last year. The largest domestic carriers Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific went on to take a bet on this recovery by launching Manila flights to untapped markets.

PAL brought in direct flights to Seattle to infiltrate the US Pacific Northwest, while Cebu Pacific became the lone carrier to connect Manila with Chiang Mai in Thailand.

Flight movement in NAIA also soared to new highs, mirroring the growth in passenger footprint. Between January and November 2024, the airport grew its domestic flight volume by six percent to 162,765 and international flight traffic by 13 percent to 104,776.

NAIA is undergoing a P170.6-billion facelift care of the New NAIA Infrastructure Corp., led by San Miguel Corp. The concessionaire is tasked to expand the passenger capacity of the airport to 62 million per annum to support future travel to Mega Manila.

On top of this, the consortium is required to speed up aircraft movement to 48 an hour given that NAIA can no longer add another runway.

With NAIA now operated by a private group, MIAA was relegated to a regulatory role, assigned to oversee whether the concessionaire is complying with its commitments.