It grew at least 2.6 percent year-on-year, the firm disclosed.
In a statement issued on Friday, October 23, New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) said the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) saw an increase in international passenger traffic this year.
According to them, it grew 2.6% year-on-year to 19.93 million from January 1 to October 22, 2026 — a figure that is over 500,000 above the number of international passengers it processed during the same time period in 2025, which amounted to 19.42 million.
Growth also continued into October, with traffic rising 2.05% to 1,389,882 passengers in the first 22 days of the month.
These are figures that have been recorded in spite of the disruptions to global aviation from the Middle East conflict.
NNIC General Manager Lito Alvarez said that they view the numbers as “encouraging” amid the ongoing conditions. “It shows that demand for travel to and from the Philippines remains strong,” he added.
The official also said that their responsibility at NNIC is to “make sure NAIA can support that demand with better facilities, more reliable operations, and a better experience for passengers.”
International passengers accounted for 48.1% of NAIA’s total traffic, up from 46.6% a year earlier, while domestic passenger volume declined 3.4% to 21.49 million.
The increase in international traffic has coincided with improved operational performance at NAIA. System-wide on-time performance rose to 81.07% from January 1 to October 22, 2026, from 77.92% during the same period last year.
The 3.15-percentage-point improvement comes as NNIC continues to modernize the airport while maintaining daily operations. On-time arrivals averaged 82.09%, while departures recorded 80.05%.
NAIA handled a record 52 million passengers in 2025, surpassing its original design capacity of 35 million annually. NNIC has been upgrading facilities while keeping the airport operational.
Airlines are also adding new international services to Manila or announcing plans for additional routes.
Air France has resumed services to the Philippines, while Philippine Airlines (PAL) is set to launch nonstop flights to Chicago in November and to Delhi and Mumbai in December, subject to regulatory approval for the Indian routes.
Delta Air Lines is scheduled to launch nonstop flights between Los Angeles and Manila in March 2027, initially operating three times weekly before expanding to daily service in June.
Indian carrier IndiGo is also expected to introduce services to Manila, further expanding travel options between the Philippines and overseas markets.
NAIA ranked sixth globally for international low-cost carrier connectivity in aviation data provider OAG’s 2026 Megahubs index, highlighting its position as a major gateway for budget international travel.
