SMC-led NAIA Prepares for Record Holiday Crowd with 2.3 Million Travelers Expected

New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC), headed by Ramon Ang’s San Miguel Corp., is gearing up for its busiest holiday travel season at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), anticipating a 10.95% increase in passenger traffic compared to last year.

Between December 20 and January 3, 2025, NNIC expects 2.296 million passengers to pass through its terminals, surpassing previous figures from Undas and the 2023 holiday season. To ensure smooth operations, NNIC has coordinated with key stakeholders, including the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), Department of Transportation (DOTr), and various security and regulatory agencies. Measures include increased staffing, streamlined terminal operations, and enhanced security.

“Christmas is a time for connecting with family and loved ones, and while this is one of the busiest seasons for NAIA, we are working hard to make the experience as safe and comfortable as possible for all passengers,” said Ramon S. Ang, NNIC president.

Since taking over NAIA’s management 90 days ago, NNIC has introduced improvements to enhance passenger convenience and comfort. These include additional drop-off and pick-up lanes to ease congestion, a new hub at Terminal 3 for ride-hailing services and metered taxis, new air-conditioning units across all terminals, free high-speed Wi-Fi, and the deployment of 400 new chairs at Terminal 1 and 500 trolleys at Terminal 3, with 2,500 more expected this month.