Nearly 190K passengers reported in airports on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day

Nearly 190,000 passengers used the country’s airports on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day — higher than the expected number of travelers of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for the holiday season.

According to the BI on Thursday, data showed a total of 52,437 passengers arrived while 41,895 left the country on Christmas Eve alone.

Christmas Day yielded a total of 47,669 arrivals and 44,192 departures in the airports nationwide.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the number of travelers processed from December 24 to December 25 were consistent with the number of travelers they recorded during the same period in 2023, reflecting a steady recovery of the international travel sector.

"Our officers are committed to providing seamless services despite the surge in traveler numbers during this peak season," said Viado.

Meanwhile, the BI chief said they are expecting a further increase in passenger traffic as more travelers are expected to arrive and depart following the New Year celebrations.

The BI earlier said they are expecting holiday travelers to hit more than 110,000 this year. — Sundy Locus/RSJ, GMA Integrated News