PASSENGER volume at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) hit 1.29 million during the nine-day holiday rush from Oct. 27 to Nov. 4, 2026, beating initial forecasts and marking a 4.4-percent increase compared to last year.
The New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) reported that actual volume reached 1,291,885 passengers, compared to 1,237,475 during the same period in 2025. This was 3.4-percent higher than the operator's conservative projection of 1.25 million, which had initially anticipated a modest 1-percent growth.
International passenger traffic rose 3.94 percent to 649,691 from 625,056 a year earlier, while domestic traffic grew 4.86 percent to 642,194 from 612,419. Oct. 30 proved to be the busiest day, handling 153,901 passengers and exceeding the daily projection of 149,216.
To prepare for the holiday surge, NNIC partnered closely with airlines, ground handlers, transport providers and key government offices — including the Department of Transportation, Manila International Airport Authority, and the bureaus of Immigration, Customs, and Quarantine.
Operational adjustments included round-the-clock monitoring via a 24-hour Command Center at Terminal 2 to coordinate incident response. NNIC also deployed extra personnel to screening checkpoints and immigration counters, increased security patrols, and established Public Assistance Desks across Terminals 1, 2 and 3.
Traffic management teams synchronized with road authorities to regulate vehicle flow around the airport, while inter-terminal shuttles facilitated smoother passenger transfers.
According to the operator, these measures are part of an ongoing effort to improve passenger processing, terminal access and facility management as NAIA adapts to growing travel demands.