The Ninoy Aquino International Airport of Manila (NAIA) is the main gateway to the Philippines. With over 30 million passengers a year this airport is in top 50 of busiest airports in the world.
The airport is named after Senator Ninoy Aquino Jr. who was assassinated at the airport in 1983.
Although Clark International Airport in Angeles, 80 km north of Manila, is not actually serving Manila, its lower airport fees make it more attractive for low-cost carriers. Most low-cost carriers fly to Clark instead of Ninoy Aquino International Airport and call it then Manila Clark. In the future though Clark will replace NAIA as the main Manila Airport.
Most flights from Ninoy Aquino International Airport are to Cebu and to Davao but there are many more flights to other destinations as well, most of them by Cebu Pacific Air. Every day there are flights to 20 destinations from Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Here are the most popular destinations:
The NAIA Airport of Manila has four terminals which are connected by a shuttle service (PHP 20).
Terminal 1 is the second oldest and serves most international flights by foreign carriers except those for All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta, Emirates, KLM and Singapore Airlines which have all moved to the new Terminal 3. A recent renovation (2014) has eased congestion and provided a much-needed improvement in facilities.
Terminal 2, the Centennial Terminal, was completed in 1998 and is used exclusively by Philippine Airlines and its subsidiary PAL Express for both their domestic and international flights.
Terminal 3 or NAIA-3 is the newest and largest terminal of NAIA with a total length of 1.2 kilometers. The plan is to move all international flights from Terminal 1 to the new NAIA-3.
Terminal 4 or Manila Domestic Terminal is the oldest of the four terminals, build in 1948. It hosts all the domestic flights within the Philippines by budget carriers AirAsia Zest and Cebgo and international flights for AirAsia Philippines.
Inter Terminal Transport: An all white NAIA Shuttle bus (called Airport Loop) connects the four terminals and costs PHP 20. It runs along all terminals so it can take up to an hour to get to your terminal.
Located just a few kilometers south of the city center it has been slowly surrounded by the Manila metropolitan area hampering future growth of the airport.
Terminals 1, 3 and 4 are connected to the Metro Manila City Bus system making it easy to get a bus to downtown Manila. Busses depart in front of the arrival area at each terminal, though at Terminal 3 you have to walk to the main road.
There is also a shuttle bus from Terminal 3 to the Genesis Bus Terminal in Pasay Rotunda.
Since Manila International Airport is so close to the city a taxi is quite affordable and the best choice. Outside the arrival area are the official yellow colored airport taxis. They will use a meter. A taxi to central Manila would cost around PHP 150 to 200 and can take 20 minutes to an hour, depending traffic.
All prices quoted here were found in July 2017
