by Emmie V. Abadilla
All 42 commercial operating airports under the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines’ (CAAP) are now ready for the expected surge of passengers for the
Christmas and New Year holidays, the agency announced Monday, December 5.
Due to travel bans imposed in the last two years brought by COVID-19, CAAP- operated airports are experiencing surges in passenger traffic this year due to pent-up demand for tourism.
In 2019, CAAP airports welcomed a total 29,258,258 passengers from January to December 2019, with 2,537,774 passengers who travelled during the month of December.
In 2020, a significant decrease was seen, as only 6,659,113 passengers travelled from January to December 2020, with only 245,141 passengers travelled in December 2020.
Last year, passenger volume reached 1,007,842 in December, while 5,136,075 passengers were recorded from January to December 2021.
So far, this year, around 16 million passengers traveled in CAAP airports from January to October alone, and more are expected to travel during the holiday rush.
Based on pre-pandemic historical data, CAAP estimates around 7-10 percent increase in the number of passengers annually.
At present, CAAP is coordinating with airline operators and concerned government agencies operating at the airports, including the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) and the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group (PNP-AVSEGROUP).
The agency advises travelers not to bring prohibited items to the airport and to stow all belongings in their carry-on baggage for faster processing at the screening checkpoints.
