NAIA: Holy Week passengers could surpass last year’s numbers

Passengers flock Naia Terminal 1 on Holy Monday, April 14, 2025. INQUIRER.net/ Faith Argosino

MANILA, Philippines —  A total of 150,511 passengers were monitored at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) terminals on Palm Sunday, according to an official of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).

With this figure, MIAA Head Executive Assistant Atty. Manuel Jeffrey David said they expect around 550,000 travelers to flock to the country’s main gateway until Holy Wednesday (April 16).

“So last 2024, we have around 500,000 for the half of the Holy Week. So, if you’re basing it from there, and then you add 10 percent, around 550,000 [passengers]. Because we just received the Palm Sunday numbers this morning, we have around 150,000 passengers already,” David told INQUIRER.net in an interview.

READ: Holy Week 2025: An INQUIRER.net Special

“So, comparing that to 2024’s numbers of around 134,000, we are expecting more this week. But, of course, we’re still expecting a lot of passengers either Palm Sunday and Holy Wednesday and Easter Sunday,” he added.

According to MIAA Media Affairs Division data released on Monday, of the 150,511 passengers monitored on Palm Sunday, 73,874 were local travelers, while 76,637 were foreign passengers.

Convenience

To ensure travelers’ convenience, David said that the New Naia Infrastructure Corporation (NNIC) implemented shortened roadway closures to accommodate more flights.

Moreover, the Department of Transportation and Bureau of Immigration dispatched more personnel during peak hours — 3:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. — to fill out the immigration counters and expedite their immigration process.

He assured the public that no untoward incidents occurred inside the Naia terminals during Palm Sunday.

More passengers are also expected in the coming days, with David comparing it to the 160,000 travelers Naia recorded per day during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

READ: Holy Week 2025 travel tips: PCG-7 heightens security at seaports

Terminal relocation

Relocation of Naia Terminal 4 will not affect Holy Week ops

Naia earlier said that Terminal 4 will be constructed on the land where the former international cargo terminal stands, which is located between the airport’s Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.

The old terminal was shut down in November last year for renovation works and was supposed to reopen in February, but NNIC found situations similar to the deadly crash landing of a Korean airline last year.

Asked about this, David said the relocation would not affect the airport’s Holy Week-related operations.

“There is no effect. It was initially a renovation. It was before holidays also when they moved all the affected flights from Terminal 4 to Terminal 2.  There were no big issues concerning the flights that were affected because they were all domestic flights,” the MIAA official said in Filipino.

“We don’t expect any issues also that would arise because of that during this travel period,” he added.

Based on MIAA’s October 2024 data, the daily average of monitored passengers in Terminal 4 was 2,760.

READ: PCG logs over 22,000 seaport passengers on Palm Sunday

Advice to travelers

In addition to these, David advised domestic flight passengers to arrive at least three hours early and four hours early for individuals who booked international flights.

He also reminded the public to take note of the changes to Naia’s security policies on bringing power banks.

“We would expect specific issues in terms of security. If we don’t cascade that to the public, we know they might bring large power banks that are no longer allowed,” David said.

“It’s not allowed in check-in luggage. If it’s in your carry-on luggage once you board the plane, it has to be on your person. It should not be hidden in the overhead bin. You have to hold it because if something happens to the power bank, if it catches fire, at least it is easier to access,” he added.