Holy Week travelers crowd NAIA despite Agaton

Passengers still flocked to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to return home to their provinces ahead of Holy Week despite several flight cancellations due to Tropical Storm Agaton.

According to Chino Gaston’s Report on “24 Oras,” the Manila International Airport Authority recorded (MIAA) 59,046 outbound and inbound passengers at the NAIA on April 10.

Among these travelers was Gemma Amboy, who said her family was happy to head back to Iloilo after three years without a vacation due to the pandemic.

“Very excited po. Magbabaksyon lang po,” Amboy said.

At the NAIA Terminal 3, long queues had formed with some passengers missing their flights.

NAIA Terminal 2, on the other hand, registered a normal volume of travelers.

The number of passengers at the NAIA this year almost matched the same number of travelers recorded during Holy Week in 2019.

Meanwhile, the usually busy NAIA Terminal 1 only saw a few passengers travel in and out of the country, with about 20,000 individuals recorded on Sunday.

One flight from Pagadian City in Mindanao and another flight back and forth to Manila from Caticlan were canceled due to inclement weather brought by Tropical Storm Agaton.

MIAA said the volume of flyers was expected to increase as the Lenten season drew nearer. — Mel Matthew Doctor/DVM, GMA News