By Christine Fabro
The country’s primary gateway Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) welcomed a total of 10,855,332 passengers in the first quarter of 2023, an increase of 158% compared to the same period in 2022.
The said figure is only 6% lower than the pre-pandemic count of passengers at 11,587,919 during the same period in 2019, according to the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) on Sunday, April 9.
Data also showed that the biggest monthly flight was recorded last March with 23,200 flights, while the largest passenger count was logged in January with 3,766,546 passengers.
In addition, flight movements during the first three months of 2023 totaled 67,181 flights, a 77%-increase from the 38,269 flight movement in 2022.
“With the reopening of borders in countries such as Hong Kong and China, as well as the easing of travel restrictions, many travelers have regained confidence to fly in and out of the Philippines for both leisure and business purposes,” MIAA General Manager Cesar Chiong said.
“As the aviation industry recovers from the effects of the pandemic, passenger numbers are likely to rise further in the coming months and years,” Chiong added. — gb
