MANILA -- The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) saw a record number of passengers in 2024, its operator said Thursday. 

The New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) said 50.1 million passengers used the country's main gateway in 2024, up 10.4 percent from 2023, and 5.1 percent higher than numbers seen in 2019--the last year before the pandemic.

The airport also recorded 293,488 flights, 4.83 percent more than the flights seen in 2023. This is also up 8.08 percent from 2019, the NNIC said.

NNIC President Ramon S. Ang said this is a clear sign that confidence in air travel has returned.

“More Filipinos are flying, and more visitors are coming to the Philippines,” he observed.

NNIC said that from December 30 to January 1, the airport recorded an average On-Time Performance (OTP) of 83.36 percent. 

The airport operator said it will improve infrastructure and streamline operations to keep up with growing passenger demand in 2025.

NNIC, a San Miguel-led consortium, took over NAIA operations in September. Since then, it has raised parking fees to 'prioritize' passengers and partnered with Meralco to boost the power supply in the airport.

San Miguel is also using a portion of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation's (PAGCOR) Nayong Pilipino property for infrastructure to complement airport operations.

Almost 9 of 10 flight arrivals on time during Undas: NAIA operator