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Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Mactan-Cebu International Airport both recorded double-digit increases in cargoes handled in 2024
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NAIA processed 31.2% more cargoes at 616,478.52 metric tons
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MCIA volume grew 18.1% to 68.530 million kilograms
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Flights at NAIA increased 41.2% while flights at MCIA rose 10.5%
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) both recorded double-digit increases in cargoes handled in 2024, based on data from their respective regulators.
Cargo volumes at NAIA in 2024 reached 616,478.52 metric tons (mt), 31.2% higher than the 544,774.32 mt posted in 2023, according to data from the Manila International Airport Authority.
Of the total, international cargoes accounted for 65.6% with 404,607.93 mt, which was up 16.7% from 346,832.71 mt in 2023.
Domestic cargoes likewise grew 7% to 211,870.59 mt last year from 197,941.61 mt in 2023.
Meanwhile, MCIA recorded 68.530 million kilograms (kg) of cargoes in 2024, an 18.1% increment from 58.011 million kg posted in 2023, based on data from Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority.
Domestic cargoes, which accounted for 65.5% of the total, increased 13% to 44.865 million kg from 39.695 million kg in 2023.
International cargoes at MCIA also expanded 29.2% to 23.665 million kg from 18.317 million kg.
Both NAIA and MCIA also saw growth in flights and passengers handled last year.
Flights at NAIA soared 41.2% to 293,433 from 207,775 flights in 2023. Domestic flights surged 70.3% year-on-year to 178,640 while international flights improved 11.6% year-on-year to 114,793.
NAIA handled 50.356 million passengers last year, 11.2% higher than the 45.3 million recorded in 2023.
MCIA flights rose 10.5% to 99,149 flights in 2024 from 89,719 flights in 2023. Domestic flights at the Cebu hub climbed 12% year-on-year to 81,326 flights while international flights increased 5% to 17,823 flights.
Passenger traffic grew 13% to 11.327 million from 10.059 million passengers in 2023.
Last January 30, MCIA inaugurated its 2.56-kilometer alternate runway, which is designed to meet increasing air traffic demand and accommodate passenger and cargo volumes. The alternate runway will operate while critical repairs on the airport’s first runway are expected to start this May. Both runways are expected to simultaneously be operational by 2028, increasing the airport’s capacity to serve up to 18 million passengers a year.
READ: Mactan-Cebu airport inaugurates P2.55B second runway
Improvements in NAIA this year, meanwhile, will focus on infrastructure and streamlining operations to keep up with rising passenger demand, according to private operator New NAIA Infra Corp.
