MANILA — The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) is expecting an increase in the volume of passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) this summer, as the number of passengers using the country’s main gateway had risen in the summer of the past two years.
Data sent to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Tuesday showed a 6.68-percent rise in the number of passengers from April-May 2016 to the same period in 2017.
NAIA accommodated 7,702,419 international and domestic passengers in 2017. This was 482,316 higher than the 7,220,103 passengers in NAIA in summer 2016.
Among the four terminals, NAIA terminal 2 recorded the biggest increase (30.4 percent) in the volume of passengers between April 2016 and April 2017.
MIAA recorded 437,879 total international flights in terminal 2 in April 2016, and 571,041 total international flights in April 2017.
MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal said he is expecting more passengers this summer, and more tourists to visit local destinations.
Monreal has ordered increased security for this season. He has also instructed all the terminal managers to ensure that all facilities at the airport are working.
He also asked local carriers to deploy the right number of people to man check-in counters to avoid long lines.
Meanwhile, MIAA said it is continuously addressing terminal 3 passengers’ complaint regarding the heat there. Months ago, additional air conditioning units were installed in terminal 3. More units will be installed at terminal 3’s international gates, according to MIAA. (Ma. Cristina Arayata/PNA)
