Passenger traffic at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) during the 2025 holiday travel period from December 20 to January 4 is expected to increase about 5 percent from last year, reaching around 2.55 million, airport operator New NAIA Infra Corporation (NNIC) said.
NNIC forecasts over 13,700 flights during the period, exceeding last year’s holiday levels, with Terminal 3 leading the surge.
On December 20, 171,306 passengers passed through NAIA — the highest single-day volume in the airport’s history — along with 950 flight movements. Terminal 3 handled more than 90,000 passengers, accounting for over half of the total.
Despite the record volume, NNIC said operations remained stable through coordinated airside management, including gate allocation, airside control, and ramp operations.
“Close coordination among government agencies and private-sector stakeholders operating at the airport was critical in managing the surge, particularly in areas such as air traffic flow, immigration processing, ground handling, and terminal operations,” the company said.
NAIA continues to operate beyond its original design capacity, but recent operational and facility upgrades have improved passenger flow and efficiency.
These include new biometric immigration e-Gates, enhanced passenger processing systems, and additional spaces at Terminal 3, such as food halls and waiting areas.