NAIA ends 2023 with record-high number of flights

MANILA, Philippines — The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) set an all-time record in 2023 as it facilitated close to 300,000 flights, the highest in history, benefitting from the resurgence of air travel here and abroad.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) recorded a total of 279,953 flights in 2023, including 171,605 domestic and 108,348 international flights. This represents a 26 percent increase compared to the 215,595 flights in 2022 and a three percent increase from the 271,535 registered in 2019.

MIAA general manager Eric Jose Ines said the number of local flights in 2023 surpassed by 12 percent the pre-pandemic record, to the benefit of the aviation and tourism sectors.

“This strong domestic rebound is not only a testament to the resilience of our local aviation industry but also reflects the support of travelers in revitalizing our domestic tourism sector,” Ines said.

Ines added that international flight operations have also returned to 91 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

As a result, NAIA improved its passenger footprint by 47 percent to 45.39 million in 2023, from 30.94 million the prior year. MIAA noted that this passenger total translates to 95 percent of the pre-pandemic high of 47.69 million in 2019.

Data showed that NAIA facilitated the travel of 24.89 million domestic guests and 20.5 million foreign nationals in 2023, but Ines believes the lifting of border controls abroad will increase the international segment this year.

“With global borders opening up, international travel is rebounding, and it’s only a matter of time before we reach pre-pandemic levels for international flights and passengers,” Ines said.

NAIA registered the most number of flights in December at 26,779, while the gateway welcomed the highest volume of passengers in July at 4.19 million.

“We are encouraged by the renewed confidence in air travel, reaffirming our collective efforts to steer the aviation sector back to pre-pandemic levels. This is a significant step towards normalcy in global air travel,” Ines said.

Further improvements in facilities, infrastructure, equipment, runways and terminals are expected to accommodate the increasing number of passengers and flights in the coming years.

The four NAIA terminals’ capacity was optimized through initiatives like the Schedule and Terminal Rationalization Assignment program, which involved terminal reassignments for select airlines.

Moreover, because of the Airport Integrated Command and Control Center’s effective schedule management, MIAA is able to accommodate more flights, amounting to 800 flights departing from and arriving at NAIA within a 24-hour window.

Toward the end of the year, MIAA is set to turn over the operations of NAIA to the winner of the P170.6-billion contract to rehabilitate the airport. The concessionaire will be granted a period of 15 years, extendable by 10 years, to upgrade NAIA’s facilities and services.

In particular, the operator must be able to raise the passenger capacity of the airport to 62 million per annum, from 32 million at present.

Currently, the Department of Transportation is processing the bids of four consortiums composed of the largest conglomerates in the Philippines vying for the contract to run NAIA.

“In light of the initiatives we are implementing, we can assure the public that we have their enhanced experience in mind. We’re pleased to say that we’re on target for delivering a better NAIA experience moving forward,” Ines said.