San Miguel-backed New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) announced Saturday, November 22 that it will begin activating new biometric immigration e-gates at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) starting December. The phased rollout is part of the airport operator’s broader push to modernize passenger processing and shorten queues at the country’s main gateway.
Powered by travel-technology provider Amadeus and operated by the Bureau of Immigration (BI), the e-gates will form part of an automated border-control system that uses passport scanning and facial recognition. The technology is designed to reduce processing times and improve throughput for international travelers, easing congestion at immigration counters during peak travel periods.
Deployment Across Terminals 1 and 3
The biometric e-gates will be installed at Terminals 1 and 3, where departure and arrival immigration checks are required for international passengers. The first activation phase is scheduled to go live starting December 2025, with full deployment targeted early next year.
NNIC said the rollout combines its infrastructure investment with immigration-operated components, allowing the system to be introduced alongside other planned upgrades under the airport’s ongoing rehabilitation. The e-gates will operate in tandem with biometric touchpoints already being deployed across check-in, security screening, and boarding to create a seamless, end-to-end passenger journey.
“Our goal is to make each part of the airport experience more comfortable for passengers,” said NNIC President Ramon Ang. “These e-gates will help reduce bottlenecks at immigration and support the broader improvements we have been introducing across NAIA,” he added.
Supporting Increased Travel Volumes
NNIC noted that NAIA processed over 50 million passengers last year, surpassing the airport’s original design capacity. With travel demand continuing to rise, the introduction of automated systems is seen as a critical step in sustaining efficient passenger flow.
The company said the integration of advanced processing technology is central to its efforts to modernize NAIA and elevate service standards, ensuring the airport can accommodate future growth while improving overall traveler experience.
