New NAIA: Passenger volume hit four-year high during Undas 2024

New NAIA Infra Corporation (NNIC), the operator of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, on Wednesday said it recorded four-year high passenger and flight volumes during the Undas season.

In an advisory, NNIC said there were 932,405 passengers and 5,627 flights handled between October 29 and November 4, 2024.

The operator said it recorded an 87.99% on-time performance (OTP) for arriving flights, higher than the industry standard of about 80%.

However, the departure OTP was recorded at a below-standard 75.46%, reflecting what NNIC described as “ongoing challenges and baggage handling processes.”

“A key factor contributing to these are malfunctions and breakdowns of lower deck loaders of airlines and their ground handlers,” NNIC said.

“These issues, exacerbated by a lack of available loaders and staffing shortages, have resulted in baggage delays during the Undas peak season,” it added.

Infographic from NNIC

According to the NNIC, the operational difficulties were also compounded by long immigration queues during peak times.

Moving forward, NNIC said it has been actively engaged with airlines and their ground handlers to address the challenges.

Discussions with stakeholders include airlines and ground handlers investing in additional baggage-handling equipment such as lower deck loaders, and increasing manpower to ensure sufficient staffing levels.

“In the coming months, NNIC will implement infrastructure and system upgrades across NAIA in collaboration with airport stakeholders, to further improve efficiency, streamline passenger flow, and enhance the travel experience,” it said.

NNIC, made up of San Miguel Holdings Corp., RMM Asian Logistics Inc., RLW Aviation Development Inc., and Incheon International Airport Corp., took over NAIA on September 14, 2024.

It earlier urged passengers to head to the airport earlier to give time for security and check-in procedures, in line with preparations for the anticipated influx of passengers during the Undas long weekend.

Previously called SMC SAP & Co. Consortium, the NNIC in March inked a P170.6-billion concession agreement with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to take over NAIA after it offered the highest share of its future revenues from operating the gateway to the government.

The group committed at least P122.3 billion in capital investments for the entire 25-year concession period, equivalent to P4.89 billion per year. It would need to make an upfront payment of P30 billion to the government, and another P2 billion in annual payments for the duration of the contract. — BM, GMA Integrated News