Despite high airfares weighing on travel sentiment, the operator of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) still expects a slight increase in passenger traffic during this year’s observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, or Undas.
According to New Naia Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC), passenger traffic at the country’s main gateway could reach 1.25 million from Oct. 27 to Nov. 4, slightly higher than the 1.24 million recorded in 2025.
NNIC expects the Undas travel rush to peak on Friday, Oct. 30, ahead of the long weekend, when about 149,000 passengers are projected to pass through the airport.
Malacañang has declared Sunday, Nov. 1, and Monday, Nov. 2, special nonworking days.
In anticipation of the travel rush, the Naia operator said it was stepping up preparations, including round-the-clock operational monitoring, additional personnel and passenger assistance services during peak periods and heightened security measures.
Additional immigration, customs and quarantine counters may also be opened to prevent long queues, while more screening personnel and checkpoints could be deployed during peak hours.
Public assistance desks will be available across all terminals, alongside a command center at Terminal 2 that will operate around the clock to assist passengers.
NNIC said interterminal shuttles would also be deployed during peak arrival and departure periods to facilitate passenger transfers.
Despite these measures, the airport operator advised travelers to arrive at Naia at least three hours before international flights and two hours before domestic departures.
‘Naia enters this year’s Undas travel period with improved passenger processing systems and expanded facilities following more than two years of modernization under NNIC,’ said the operator, which had taken over the airport in September 2024.
Government-operated airports are likewise preparing for an increase in passenger traffic during the Undas period.
Earlier, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said it expected passenger traffic across its airports to reach 4 million during this year’s observance, up from 3.7 million in 2025.
Budget carrier AirAsia Philippines has also reported an influx of domestic bookings for the ‘Undas’ travel period, particularly to the Visayas destinations of Caticlan, Bacolod and Iloilo.