The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) posted its busiest month on record in January 2026, handling 4.96 million passengers, according to its private operator, New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC). The figure surpassed the previous high of 4.86 million in December 2025 and reflected continued growth after a strong holiday travel season.
Passenger traffic was boosted by the December 20 to January 4 holiday period, when nearly 2.6 million travelers passed through the airport. January 4 marked the airport’s busiest single day so far, with more than 180,000 passengers.
International travel led the increase, with 2.42 million passengers in January, up over 8 percent from a year earlier and the highest monthly international total in NAIA’s history. Domestic travel also grew, reaching 2.54 million passengers, a 3 percent year-on-year rise.
Despite the surge, airport operations remained stable. NNIC credited recent improvements such as terminal upgrades, biometric immigration e-gates, faster passenger processing systems, and closer coordination among airlines, government agencies, and service providers.
NAIA is the country’s main aviation hub. Under a public-private partnership, NNIC manages its operations, maintenance, and modernization, while the government retains ownership. Since taking over in September 2024, NNIC has remitted P62.7 billion to the national government as part of the concession agreement.
