By Ma. Cristina Arayata/PNA
MANILA — The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said on Sunday the 40 airports under its management are all set for the passenger influx this holiday season.
Starting Monday, Dec. 10, until Jan. 5, 2019, the CAAP will implement a heightened alert in all the airports, as it expects an increase in the number of passengers.
This means additional security personnel will be deployed.
CAAP has also coordinated with the airlines to ensure smooth operations, especially at the check-in counters.
Passengers are advised not to bring prohibited items at the airport to avoid hassle and delays during screening and check-in procedures.
The Philippines has welcomed a total of 6,342,610 international and domestic passengers in 2017, according to CAAP. More than half of them used the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) media affairs division head, Jess Martinez, earlier told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) there has been a steady increase in the volume of passengers at NAIA every Christmas season.
Data sent to the PNA on Sunday showed that 3,787,648 international and domestic passengers used the NAIA in December 2017. This is 6 percent higher compared with the 3,570,966 passengers that used NAIA in December 2016.
Data also showed that international arrivals at NAIA in 2017 were 10 percent higher than in 2016 (1,096,967 vs. 998,067), and international departures volume was 7 percent higher than the same period in 2016 (851,576 vs. 795,780).
Domestic arrivals and departures at NAIA also increased by 3 percent and 4 percent, respectively. In 2017, domestic arrivals at NAIA was 865,950, compared with 841,108 in 2016. Domestic departures, on the other hand, was 973,155 in 2017, compared with 936,011 in 2016.
