MANILA –– The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) on Friday said it expected a 13 to 15 percent increase in passengers by mid-December or at the peak of the holiday travel rush.

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport currently caters to around 100,000 passengers arriving and departing daily in both domestic and international flights, said MIAA senior assistant general manager Bryan Co.

"Sa peak season po, inaasahan po natin na dadagdag po ang pasahero natin dito sa NAIA at around mga 13 to 15 percent po... That would be around mga mid-December po, around mga December 15 onwards until early January," he said in a televised briefing.

(During the peak season, we expect that our passengers in NAIA will increase by 13 to 15 percent. That would be around mid-December, around Dec. 15 onwards until early January.)

NAIA has increased its manpower since All Saints' Day to ensure smooth operations, Co said.

“Ang airlines natin at mga ground handlers ng airlines, tinitiyak natin na ang kanilang mga manpower ay already sufficient to handle yung mga expected surge in the number of passengers," he said.

(Our airlines and their ground handlers, we ensure that their manpower is already sufficient to handle the expected surge in the number of passengers.)

The volume of domestic passengers in NAIA has surpassed pre-pandemic figures, while the number of international travelers is at 60 to 70 percent of the pre-pandemic level, Co noted.

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SOME FLIGHTS TRANSFERRED TO NAIA TERMINAL 1

Meanwhile, some Philippine Airlines flights will be transferred to NAIA Terminal 1 from Terminal 2 next month in a bid to decongest the airport, Co said.

The decongestion will begin on Dec. 1 and affected flights include those bound for the United States, Canada, and the Middle East.

The MIAA is coordinating with the Philippine Airlines to notify passengers, Co said.

"Dahil sa dami ng flights ng Philippine Airlines at ang Terminal 1 naman ay medyo may kapasidad pa tayong makadagdag ng additional na flights para ma-lessen natin ang congestion at maipaganda natin ang eksperiyensya ng mga tao dito sa NAIA," he said of the move.

(The Philippine Airlines has many flights and Terminal 1 has the capacity for additional flights so we could lessen congestion and improve the experience of passengers here at NAIA.)

Terminal 1 caters to some 11,000 to 13,000 passengers daily, while around 30,000 travelers pass through Terminal 2.

Co attributed the lower number of passengers in Terminal 2 to travel restrictions in some destinations like China, Macau, Hong Kong, and parts of Northeast Asia.

"Kapag naibalanse natin itong kapasidad, lalabas roughly both terminals will have around mga 20,000 passengers per day," he added.

(Once we balance the capacity, both terminals will have roughly 20,000 passengers per day.)