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42 commercial airports under the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) are now on high alert in anticipation of the expected increase in volume of passengers this coming Christmas and New Year holiday season
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Due to travel bans imposed in the last two years brought by COVID-19, CAAP said its operated airports reported that it has seen trends of pent-up demand for tourism this year
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Around 16 million passengers traveled in CAAP airports from January to October alone, and more are expected to travel during the holiday rush
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Based on pre-pandemic historical data, an estimate of around 7-10% increase in the number of passengers is expected annually
Forty-two commercial airports under the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) are now on high alert in anticipation of the expected increase in volume of passengers for the holiday season.
CAAP in a statement said it has coordinated with airline operators and concerned government agencies operating at airports, including the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) and the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group (PNP-AVSEGROUP), to augment additional personnel in anticipation of the expected surge in passenger traffic this holiday break.
Travelers are reminded not to bring prohibited items to the airport and to stow all belongings in one’s carry-on baggage for faster processing at the screening checkpoints.
CAAP said it is adding security measures and service and security personnel to ensure safe and convenient airport operations as returning overseas Filipinos, civilians, and tourists travel for the holiday season, CAAP said.
Its airports are now seeing pent-up demand for tourism following COVID-19 imposed travel bans in the last two years, the agency said.
CAAP airports welcomed 29.258 million passengers for the whole of 2019, with 2.538 million passengers traveling during the month of December alone.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly decreased the number of travellers in 2020 — 6.659 million and only 245,141 recorded in December 2020.
For the whole of 2021, passenger volume reached 5.136 million, with 1.008 million in December alone.
From January to October this year, around 16 million passengers traveled in CAAP airports and more expected during the holiday rush.
Based on pre-pandemic data, 7-10% increase in the number of passengers is expected annually. With the easing of travel restrictions, CAAP said it is preparing for a surge in travel demand.
CAAP-operated airports does not include main gateways such as Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Clark International Airport, and Subic International Airport; these airports are all operated by other government entities.
