Over 2.5 million passengers are expected to use the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) this holiday season, and authorities are preparing for the influx.

Data requested by the Philippine News Agency (PNA) showed airport authorities are projecting 2,553,622 passengers across all NAIA terminals from Dec. 20, 2025 to Jan. 4, 2026.

The projected volume is slightly higher than the 2,432,021 passengers year-over-year (YoY).

The country’s main gateway is also expecting 13,995 inbound and outbound flights during this period, also higher than the 13,327 flights YoY.

Preparations

This month, operator New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) will start the phased roll of 78 Immigration electronic gates (e-gates) to help ease congestion. The system, powered by technology firm Amadeus, will allow passengers to clear immigration in about 20 seconds.

Office for Transportation Security (OTS) Administrator Gilberto Cruz, meanwhile, said they already conducted inspections at airports earlier, and security auditors are constantly deployed to ensure compliance with national and international standards.

The over 100 security screeners hired last October will augment the workforce this Christmas season, Cruz told the PNA.

Currently, there are 2,368 security screeners across all airports in the country, he added.

Cruz, meanwhile, reminds passengers to personally pack their bags and to never accept baggage from strangers.

“If they are asked to bring someone else’s bag, they need to check its content first,” Cruz said.

Meanwhile, as part of enhancing passenger experience, the NNIC will soon launch an all-Filipino food hall and a new Dignitaries Lounge at Terminal 3.

The food hall features 17 homegrown brands, showcasing regional flavors and local products from across the Philippines.

The ongoing improvements “show how this partnership with the government is delivering improvements that the public can actually see and feel,” NNIC president Ramon Ang said in a statement. (PNA)