The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) on Thursday said around a million passengers transit across all four Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminals during the long Holy Week break.
MIAA general manager Eric Ines projected a 15-percent increase in passenger volume during this year’s Semana Santa compared to only 926,755 passing through the NAIA from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday last year.
In the first 14 days of March 2024 alone, passenger numbers already total 1,853,132, averaging 132,367 daily.
Airport officials project passenger traffic approaching the pre-pandemic Lenten record of 1,126,501 passengers over eight days, averaging 140,810 daily.
“Our domestic operations in particular have consistently surpassed pre-pandemic flight movements and passenger volume. We anticipate travelers taking advantage exploring local destinations, the ease and convenience of air travel, summer airline promotions, or simply vacationing and being with family during this time,” Ines said.
“We are prepared for this influx at our terminals, especially as the Holy Week coincides with summer, historically a peak season for air travel,” he added.
The airport chief assures of adequate manpower, equipment, and optimal condition of amenities and key facilities, including critical airport utilities and backup systems.
Standby generator sets supply electrical power to MIAA’s vital facilities in case of power failure at the administration building, all four passenger terminals, and the international cargo terminal which have undergone test runs since January to establish their operational performance and ensure the reliability of the generator sets. In December 2023, MIAA completed a series of electrical maintenance activities at NAIA Terminal 3 to optimize the overall reliability of the terminal’s electrical systems.
To address the El Niño’s impact and rising temperatures, the MIAA has replaced the fan coils of its air conditioning units and coordinated with Maynilad to ensure uninterrupted water service at its facilities.
