Manila: The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) accommodated 1.17 million travelers during Holy Week from April 13 to 20, marking a 12.7 percent increase from the previous year. The daily average passenger volume reached 146,611, with a peak of 156,635 on Easter Sunday.

According to Philippines News Agency, both domestic and international passenger traffic saw significant increases, with a year-on-year rise of 14.9 percent and 11.21 percent, respectively. "This Holy Week showed how much better NAIA is becoming. We saw higher passenger numbers, but smoother and faster operations. That's not by chance; it's the result of planning, investment, and teamwork," said Ramon Ang, president of New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC), in a statement on Monday.

The San Miguel Corp.-led NNIC credited the smooth and orderly operations across all terminals to the efforts of key agencies and recent operational improvements. The Bureau of Immigration played a crucial role by deploying additional personnel and opening more counters at the country's main gateway.

"As a result of these combined efforts, NAIA recorded an on-time performance (OTP) of 83.28 percent across all terminals throughout the Holy Week period - an indicator of smoother airport operations and more efficient turnaround for airlines," the NNIC stated. OTP is gauged by the number of departures and arrivals occurring within 15 minutes of their scheduled times, including cancellations.

Ramon Ang expressed gratitude to government partners, as well as the entire NNIC and NAIA staff. "We're just getting started, and we will keep working to build the airport our country deserves," he added.