Ninoy Aquino International Airport

The original airport that served Manila, Grace Park Airfield (also known as Manila North) in Grace Park, Caloocan (then a municipality of Rizal), was opened in 1935. It was the city's first commercial airport and was used by the Philippine Aerial Taxi Company (later Philippine Airlines) for its first domestic routes.[10] In July 1937, Nielson Airport, located in the 45-hectare (4,800,000 sq ft) land in Makati, also then in Rizal, was inaugurated and served as the gateway to Manila; its runways now form Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas.[11] Following the end of World War II and Philippine independence from the United States, Grace Park Airfield closed, whereas Nielson Airport continued to operate until 1948 when it was decommissioned. All airport operations were moved to the current site, Nichols Field, due to the easier terrain gradient, expanse of greenfield land, and the USAF base runway (Runway 13/31), which could be used for the airport.[12] The original one-story bungalow building was built adjacent to the existing runway and currently serves as the present-day Terminal 4.

In 1954, the airport's longer international runway (Runway 06/24) and associated taxiways were built, and in 1956, construction was started on a control tower and a terminal building for international passengers. The new terminal, designed by Frederico Illustre, was built on the site of Terminal 2 and was inaugurated on September 22, 1961.[13] On January 22, 1972, a fire caused substantial damage to the original terminal building, resulting in six casualties,[14] and a slightly smaller terminal was rebuilt the following year. This second terminal would serve as the country's international terminal until 1981 when it was converted to a domestic terminal, upon the completion and opening of a new, higher-capacity terminal known today as Terminal 1.[15] Another fire later damaged the old international terminal in May 1985.

One year after its opening, the present-day Terminal 1 became the scene of a controversial event in Philippine history on August 21, 1983. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. was assassinated at the terminal's Gate 8 (now Gate 11) after returning to the Philippines from exile in the United States. Aviation Security Command (AVSECOM) personnel escorted Aquino out of the plane to the tarmac, where a van owned by the agency awaited him. A single gunshot was heard, which was then identified as the shot that killed Aquino. Several shots burst out, killing the alleged assassin, Rolando Galman. Seconds later, gunfire erupted, causing chaos in the plane, the tarmac, and the terminal. The bodies of Aquino and Galman lay on the tarmac; Aquino's body was loaded onto the van, which then sped away. Ironically, his flight number, China Airlines 811, was the same flight number that was involved in an accident three years ago at the same airport. However, the aircraft involved in the 1983 assassination was a Boeing 767-200. Four years after the incident, during the presidency of Ninoy's widow Corazon Aquino in 1987, Republic Act No. 6639 was enacted without executive approval,[16] renaming the airport in Ninoy's honor.[17] Presently, a body mark of Aquino's assassination is on display at the departures area, while the spot at Gate 8 where he was killed has a memorial plaque. Due to this event, Terminal 1 has also been nicknamed "Ninoy Aquino Terminal."

Plans for a new terminal were conceived in 1989 when the Department of Transportation and Communications commissioned Aéroports de Paris to conduct a feasibility study to expand capacity. The recommendation was to build two new terminals. The government aims to return services from airlines that canceled services to Manila due to Terminal 1's problems.

Construction of Terminal 2 began in 1995 and was opened in 1999. Terminal 2 was nicknamed the "Centennial Terminal" as its completion in 1998 coincided with the 100th anniversary of the Philippine Declaration of Independence from Spain.

The original proposal for the construction of a third terminal was proposed by Asia's Emerging Dragon Corporation (AEDP).[18] AEDP eventually lost the bid to PairCargo and its partner Fraport AG of Germany, who went on to begin construction of the terminal under the administration of Joseph Estrada. In August 1997, President Fidel V. Ramos led the groundbreaking ceremony of Terminal 3.[18] The structure was mainly completed several years before and was originally scheduled to open in 2002. However, a legal dispute between the government of the Philippines and the project's main contractor, Philippine International Air Terminals Co. Inc. (Piatco), over the build-operate-transfer contract delayed the completion and opening of the terminal.[19] After several delays, Terminal 3 partially opened on July 22, 2008. Full operations were initially slated to begin by 2010,[20] then pushed back to 2011,[21] and again to 2014. Terminal 3 became fully operational on July 31, 2014.[22]

While the original agreement was one in which PairCargo and Fraport AG would operate the airport for several years after its construction, followed by a handing over of the terminal to the Philippine government, the government offered to buy out Fraport AG for $400 million, to which Fraport agreed. However, before the terminal could be fully completed, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo called the contract "onerous" and formed a committee to evaluate the agreement to buy out Fraport AG. In May 2003, the Supreme Court declared the concession contract and the three supplemental construction and operations contracts null and void due to various anomalies.[23]

Certain amendments to the original contract caused the contract to be nullified. In December 2004, the Philippine government took over the terminal, which led to expropriation proceedings.[24] The government was then negotiating a contract with the builder of the terminal, Takenaka Corporation, because another factor that delayed the terminal's opening was the ongoing investigation into the collapse of an area of the terminal's ceiling days before its supposed opening in March 2006.[25]

Piatco sued the government before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). In contrast, its German partner Fraport sued the Philippine government at the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) separately.[26] In 2007, the ICSID case was decided in favor of the Philippine government because of Fraport's violation of the Anti-Dummy Law. However, this decision was annulled in 2010 due to violating Fraport's right to be heard.[27] A new claim by Fraport was filed at the ICSID in March 2011.[28] Piatco formally withdrew its second application to set aside the earlier ICC ruling that dismissed its claims against the Philippine government in December 2011.[29]

The ICC ruling in favor of the Philippine government became final and executory in 2012.[29]

In October 2015, reports of an extortion scam concerning bullets planted by airport security officials in airline passengers' luggage (dubbed by the local media the "tanim-bala scam") spread, creating a scare among travelers.[30] Former Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte, then a presumptive presidential candidate in the 2016 Philippine presidential election, further alleged that a syndicate was behind the series of incidents. Duterte said the operation had been going on for more than two years.[31] Malacañang Palace and the Philippine Senate have investigated the incidents. Jose Angel Aquino Honrado, the chairman of MIAA, which manages the airport, is President Benigno Aquino III's first cousin.[32][33] In April 2016, a similar incident occurred.[34]

On February 12, 2018, a consortium of seven conglomerates consisting of Aboitiz InfraCapital Incorporated, AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation, Alliance Global Group Incorporated, Asia's Emerging Dragon Corporation, Filinvest Development Corporation, JG Summit Holdings, and Metro Pacific Investments Corporation submitted a ₱350 billion, or US$6.75 billion, 35-year unsolicited proposal to rehabilitate, expand, operate, and maintain Ninoy Aquino International Airport.[35][36] The consortium's airport rehabilitation and expansion proposal will be divided into two phases: the improvement and expansion of terminals in the current NAIA land area and the development of an additional runway, taxiways, passenger terminals, and associated support infrastructure. Changi Airport Consultants Pte. Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Changi Airports International Pte. Ltd., will provide technical support for their unsolicited proposal.[37] Singapore's Changi Airport Group is also eyeing a 30-percent stake in this venture.[38]

On March 1, 2018, Megawide Construction Corporation and its India-based consortium partner GMR Infrastructure, the consortium which revamped Mactan–Cebu International Airport, submitted a ₱150 billion, or US$3 billion, proposal to decongest and redevelop the airport as well.[39][40] GMR-Megawide, unlike the consortium above, is not pushing for the construction of a new runway. According to GMR Megawide Mactan–Cebu International Airport Corp. chief executive adviser Andrew Harrison, such a structure would not significantly boost capacity.[40]

The NAIA consortium pulled out of the rehabilitation project in July 2020 due to undisclosed issues, and thus Megawide-GMR took over the project.[41] On December 15, 2020, however, the Manila International Airport Authority revoked the original proponent status (OPS) of Megawide-GMR, who then filed a motion for reconsideration on December 21.[42] MIAA denied the motion for reconsideration filed by Megawide-GMR on January 25, 2021.[43] In August 2022, the Department of Transportation announced a rebidding of the project within the year.[44]

In February 2018, a plan to "rationalize" the airport terminals was announced to decongest the airport while transferring some flights to Clark International Airport. Under the rationalization program, Terminals 1 and 3 would be fully allocated to international flights, while Terminals 2 and 4 would be fully allocated to domestic flights.[45] Airlines were initially given 45 days to transfer some of their flights to Clark International Airport but was later extended to six months.[46][47]

However, Senator Grace Poe said that the rationalization plan would not ease congestion in the airport while saying that expanding the airport would be the main solution to decongest the airport.[48]

On July 30, 2018, airport authorities announced the deferral of the rationalization program that was supposed to take place in August of that year. It was deferred due to operational constraints at the airport.[49] The rationalization started in October 2018 when four airlines transferred their operations to Terminal 3 from Terminal 1 until January 2019.[50]

The program was revived in December 2022 when the Manila International Airport Authority reassigned some Philippine Airlines and Philippines AirAsia flights. By June 2023, Terminal 3 will be dedicated to all international flights of all foreign carriers (though Cebu Pacific will continue to operate all of its flights at Terminal 3), and Terminal 1 will be exclusively dedicated to PAL international flights. Finally, by July 2023, Terminal 2 would be exclusively dedicated to domestic flights of PAL and AirAsia.[51] These reassignments were done to augment immigration workforce in Terminals 1 and 3.[52]

Exterior of Terminal 1

Terminal 1 has an area of 73,000 square meters (790,000 sq ft) and a design capacity of six million passengers annually. It is also known as the "Ninoy Aquino Terminal" since its tarmac was also where Marcos-era opposition senator Ninoy Aquino was assassinated in 1983. Being the second oldest terminal at the airport (after the Old Domestic Terminal, now called Terminal 4), Terminal 1 was completed in 1981 and opened in 1982.[15] The terminal currently serves foreign carriers operating in Manila except those in Terminal 3. It also serves Philippine Airlines flights to and from Bali, Canada (Toronto and Vancouver), the Middle East, and the United States.[53] By June 16, 2023, all international flights PAL will operate at Terminal 1, while all foreign carriers will operate at Terminal 3, marking the first time since 1999 that all PAL International Flights are operating in the terminal.[51]

The development of the Manila International Airport was finally approved through the promulgation of Executive Order No. 381, which authorized the airport's development.[54] In 1973, a feasibility study/airport master plan was done by the Airways Engineering Corporation through a US$29.6 million loan from the Asian Development Bank.[55] The detailed engineering design for the project was done by Renardet-Sauti/Transplan/F.F. Cruz Consultant, while the terminal's detailed architectural design was prepared by Leandro Locsin's L.V. Locsin and Associates.[56] In 1974, the detailed designs were adopted by the Philippine Government. The ADB subsequently approved the designs on September 18, 1975. The government chose an area close to the original site of the former Manila Airport, deciding on an area of land governed by Parañaque, which was at the time a municipality of Metro Manila. Actual work on the terminal began during the second quarter of 1978.

The terminal reached capacity in 1991, registering a total passenger volume of 4.53 million. Since 1991, the terminal has been over capacity and recording an annual average growth rate of 11%,[56] but improvements to the airport have increased its capacity from 4.5 million to six million passengers yearly.[57] Compared to international terminals in other Asian countries, Terminal 1 has consistently ranked at the bottom due to limited and outdated facilities, poor passenger comfort, and crowding.[58] From 2011 to 2013, Terminal 1 was on the list of worst airports in Asia and the world by the travel website "The Guide to Sleeping In Airports," ranking number one.[6]

Transport authorities planned to rehabilitate Terminal 1; then-president Benigno Aquino III approved the plans. The upgrade includes expanding the arrival area, adding parking spaces, and improving other terminal facilities.[59] Renovations began on January 23, 2014.[60] The project included the installation of buckling restrained braces to strengthen the structural integrity of the building and a much-needed improvement in the terminal's interior design.[61] Eleven international airlines (and an expected seven more) operating from Terminal 1 transferred to Terminal 3 from 2014 to 2023 to decongest the terminal.[62][63][64][51]

The airport's control tower in front of Terminal 2.

Terminal 2, also known as the "Centennial Terminal," has an area of 75,000 square meters (810,000 sq ft) at the Old MIA Road. Constructed as part of a master plan that recommended the construction of two new terminals,[56] actual construction work on the terminal began in December 1995 and was inaugurated on May 1, 1999[65] and began operations in the same year. It has been named the Centennial Terminal in commemoration of the centennial year of the declaration of Philippine independence. Aéroports de Paris originally designed the terminal to be domestic, but the design was later modified to accommodate international flights.[66] It has a capacity of 2.5 million passengers per year in its international wing and five million in its domestic wing. It can be modified to accommodate nine million passengers per year if needed.[66] It is divided into two wings: the North Wing, for international flights, and the South Wing, which handles domestic operations. It currently has 12 jet bridges. There are several cafes and restaurants in the Terminal post-security. There is also a small duty-free section in the north wing.

The study was facilitated using a grant from the French Government. The review cost 2.9 million French francs and was submitted to the Philippine Government for evaluation in 1990.[56] In 1991, the French Government granted a 30-million-franc soft loan to the Philippine Government to cover the detailed architectural and engineering design of NAIA Terminal 2. ADP completed the design in 1992, and in 1994, the Japanese Government granted an 18.12-billion-yen soft loan to the Philippine Government to finance 75% of the terminal's construction costs and 100% of the supervision costs. Construction of the Centennial Terminal began on December 11, 1995, and was formally turned over to the government of the Philippines on December 28, 1998. The terminal became fully operational by 1999.[67]

In August 2014, a plan to expand Terminal 2 was announced. The plan also incorporated building a structure interconnecting Terminals 1 and 2.[68] It included the demolition of the unused Philippine Village Hotel complex beside the terminal [6] and relocating of a fuel depot between the terminals to make way for the expansion.[69]

The terminal underwent rehabilitation starting in September 2018.[70] On February 16, 2021, the expanded Terminal 2 was inaugurated. The expansion added an additional 2,800 square meters (30,000 sq ft) in the terminal area.[71]

The terminal is currently used exclusively by Philippine Airlines and PAL Express for domestic and international flights. Starting July 1, 2023, the terminal will be exclusively dedicated to domestic flights of Philippine Airlines, PAL Express, and Philippines AirAsia.[51]

Terminal 3 apron.

Terminal 3 is the newest and largest among the four terminals in NAIA. The construction of the terminal was also part of the 1989 expansion plan. Construction started in 1997 and was originally planned to open in 2002. Since construction, the terminal has been at the center of legal battles, red tape, and arbitration cases in both the United States and Singapore, as well as technical and safety concerns which delayed its opening several times.[19] The terminal opened on July 22, 2008,[72] increasing the airport's annual handling capacity by 13 million passengers.[73] It is built on a 63.5-hectare (157-acre) lot on Villamor Air Base.

Terminal 3 is used as the main terminal for Cebu Pacific for its domestic and international operations; the airline has operated its flights in the terminal since its opening in 2008. PAL Express (formerly Air Philippines and Airphil Express) used to operate flights at the terminal until it moved to Terminal 2.[72] The AirAsia Group also uses the terminal for its international flights and flights operated by Philippines AirAsia to and from Cebu and Caticlan (until June 30, 2023).[51][53] It is also used by foreign airlines that previously operated at Terminal 1.

The US$640 million terminal, designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), has a total floor area of 182,500 square meters (1,964,000 sq ft) and a total length of 1.2 kilometers (0.75 mi),[66] It has 24 boarding gates consisting of 20 contact gates accessible via jet bridges and four bus gates which transports passengers from the terminal to the plane via apron buses. Its apron area is 147,400 square meters (1,587,000 sq ft), with the ability to service 28 planes at a time, later increased to 32 after the remote parking gates were increased from 8 to 12.[64] The terminal has 70 flight information displays, 314 display monitors, and 300 kilometers (190 mi) of fiber optic I.T. cabling. It also has 29 restroom blocks. The departure area has five entrances, all equipped with X-ray machines, with the final security check having 18 X-ray machines.[66] A four-level shopping mall connects the terminal and parking buildings. The parking building has a capacity of 2,000 cars, and the outdoor parking area has a capacity of 1,200 cars. The terminal can serve 33,000 passengers daily at peak or 6,000 per hour.[74] A 220-meter-long (720 ft) footbridge that opened in April 2017, known as Runway Manila, connects the terminal with Newport City. The bridge contains moving walkways and can accommodate about 2,000 persons at anytime.[75]

All international operations, except those from PAL, were intended to operate from Terminal 3 in the future, originally proposed to move in the fourth quarter of 2010;[20] however, Cebu Pacific and PAL Express remained the only tenants for the first two years of its operation. Before the start of full operations of Terminal 3, most international flights operated from Terminal 1. All Nippon Airways became the first foreign-based carrier to operate out of Terminal 3 starting February 27, 2011.[76][77]

The terminal was rehabilitated under the contractor Takenaka Corporation to improve its facilities and utilize the whole terminal. Previously, it only operated at half of its capacity awaiting the completion of the remaining system works.[78] The terminal became fully operational on July 31, 2014,[22] leading to the transfer of five international airlines to Terminal 3 to ease congestion at Terminal 1, starting with Delta Air Lines on August 1,[62] followed by KLM on August 4,[63] Emirates on August 15,[62] Singapore Airlines on September 1,[63] and Cathay Pacific on October 1.[63][64] United Airlines and Qantas relocated to Terminal 3 from Terminal 1 on October 28, 2018.[50] Middle Eastern carriers Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines transferred to Terminal 3 on December 1, 2018, and January 1, 2019.[79] Etihad Airways was also transferred to Terminal 3 on October 25, 2020.[80] Another seven foreign airlines (China Southern Airlines, Jetstar Asia, Jetstar Japan, Scoot, Starlux Airlines, Jeju Air, and Ethiopian Airlines) are expected to transfer to Terminal 3 from Terminal 1 from April to June 2023.[51]

Exterior of NAIA Terminal 4

Terminal 4, named the "Manila Domestic Passenger Terminal," and still known as the Old Domestic Terminal, is the oldest of the four existing terminals, built in 1948.[81] With an annual capacity of three million passengers,[82] it serves all domestic flights within the Philippines that are operated by AirSWIFT, Cebgo, and most Philippines AirAsia flights (until June 30, 2023),[51] among others. There are no jet bridges; passengers walk to and from the aircraft or are occasionally bussed. Twenty-six check-in counters are located in the terminal. The departure hall has a seating capacity of 969 people at a time. Several food stores and a book and magazine stall are also available. Five baggage carousels are in the terminal, while domestic airline offices, banks, restaurants, and a grocery store are beside the passenger terminal.[83] The Domestic Terminal is on the old Airport Road near the north end of Runway 13/31. An old hangar has since been annexed to the terminal.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to reduce operating costs due to low passenger demand, Terminal 4 remained closed. At the same time, three terminals reopened in June 2020 after the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon was lifted. This caused domestic flights operating at Terminal 4 to transfer to Terminal 3.[84] The terminal was used as a vaccination site for airport employees during its closure. After a two-year hiatus, Terminal 4 reopened on March 28, 2022, to decongest Terminal 3 due to the influx of domestic passengers. Cebgo, Philippines AirAsia, and AirSWIFT returned their domestic operations to the terminal on the same day.[85]

NAIA has a primary runway that is 3,737 meters (12,260 ft) long and 60 meters (200 ft) wide,[86] running at 061°/241° (designated as Runway 06/24), and a secondary runway that is 2,258 meters (7,408 ft) long and 45 meters (148 ft) wide,[87] running at 136°/316° (designated as Runway 13/31). The primary runway was oriented at 06/24 to harness the southeast and southwest winds. Runway 13/31 is the original runway of the complex during the airport's time as the USAF base Nichols Field. Of the 550 planes that fly on NAIA daily, 100 take the secondary runway. It mainly caters to small private planes and propeller aircraft such as the ATR 72-500, Airbus A320, and Airbus A321 aircraft and acts as the main runway of the NAIA Terminal 4.[88]

Runway 13/31 was closed in 2020 to give way for its rehabilitation works.[89] The runway was inaugurated and reopened on February 16, 2021, along with a newly constructed taxiway that opened on the same day.[90]

Former Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya has proposed a new runway adjacent to the existing Runway 06/24.[91] The proposed runway has a length of 2,100 meters (6,900 ft) that could allow the landing of an Airbus A320 and increase the number of aircraft the airport can handle from 40 planes per hour to about 60–70.[92] However, according to the consultant hired by the government, building the runway may affect the current operations in the main runway, and considering building another terminal to be less disruptive.[93]

Previously, the Japan International Cooperation Agency proposed Sangley Point in Cavite as the site of the new international airport serving the Greater Manila Area, meaning Sangley could serve as NAIA's third runway until the long-term expansion is planned.[94]

An Airbus A380 parked on its test flight in 2007.

NAIA is one of two airports in the Philippines that meet the infrastructure requirements for the Airbus A380, the other being Clark International Airport. The airport provides MRO services conducted by Lufthansa Technik Philippines. On October 11, 2007, NAIA hosted the debut of the Airbus A380 in the Philippines after test aircraft MSN009 (registered as F-WWEA) landed on Runway 24. The test flight demonstrated that the A380 could land on existing runways in Asia and that the primary international airport of the Philippines could support aircraft as large as the A380.[95]

However, according to Jose Angel Honrado, who served as MIAA General Manager from 2010 to 2016, NAIA is currently not capable of handling regular commercial flights on the A380, as it would "cause a lot of inconvenience and delay for other scheduled flights" due to the airport's runway and taxiway centerlines not reaching the "wing-tip-to-wing-tip clearance" safety requirement for the aircraft to operate at the airport regularly.[96] Therefore, no airlines have regular commercial flights using this aircraft, although some airlines fly out their A380s to NAIA for maintenance at Lufthansa Technik Philippines. On October 7, 2014, Emirates flew their A380 to NAIA in a one-off commercial flight from and to Dubai to commemorate the transfer of the airline's operations to Terminal 3.[97] Franklyn Desiderio, the first Filipino pilot certified to fly the Airbus A380, captained the flight.[98]

Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP) (formerly PAL Technical Center) was founded in 2000 as a joint venture of German firm Lufthansa Technik (51%) and Philippine aviation service provider MacroAsia Corporation (49%). Lufthansa Technik Philippines offers customers aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services.

The company performs maintenance checks for the Airbus A320 family and A330/A340 aircraft. Seven hangar bays and workshops have been upgraded to the latest industry standards to support aircraft maintenance, major modifications, cabin reconfigurations, engine maintenance, and painting for the Airbus A320 family, A330/A340, as well as the Boeing 747-400 and 777 aircraft. A new widebody hangar was recently added to meet the increasing demand for A330/A340 base maintenance checks.

The company also opened an Airbus A380 maintenance hangar to allow the aircraft to be repaired at the airport facility.[99][100] It also provides technical and engineering support for the entire Philippine Airlines fleet and other international airline fleets.[101]

Aviation Partnership (Philippines) Corporation is SIA Engineering's third-line maintenance joint venture outside Singapore. The joint venture of SIA Engineering Company (51%) and Cebu Pacific Air (49%) provides line maintenance, light aircraft checks, technical ramp handling, and other services to Cebu Pacific Air and third-party airline customers.

The airport also serves as a gateway facility for the logistics company DHL. On March 12, 2006, the company opened its first quality control center at NAIA Terminal 3 to show support in its local market.[102]

Philippine Airlines operates several aviation facilities in the Philippines. These include various training facilities for pilots and cabin crew, catering services, a data center, and an A320 flight simulator.[103]

Philippine Airlines also maintains training facilities for its pilots and other crew, comprising the PAL Aviation School, the PAL Technical Center, and the PAL Learning Center. The PAL Aviation School, located within the premises of Clark Civil Aviation Complex, provides flight training for its operations and other airlines, the Philippine Government, and individual students. It currently operates ten Cessna 172Rs, five of which are fitted with a Glass Cockpit Garmin G1000 for student pilots' training with complete training facilities, including simulators for the Airbus A320 and turboprop aircraft (FRASCA 142). More than 5,000 students graduated from the PAL Aviation School, eventually joining the ranks of pilots at PAL and other airlines.

PAL Learning Center, located in Manila, is the integrated center for Philippine Airlines flight deck crew, cabin crew, catering, technical, ticketing, and ground personnel. Located at the PAL Maintenance Base Complex in Pasay, the PAL flight simulator, designed to simulate an Airbus A320, can duplicate all flight conditions, complete with sound and visual system capability for day, dusk, and night operations.

Notes

Notes

• Philippine Airlines also maintains integrated airport ground handling services, cargo operations and a full catering service for it and other airlines.[121] This is composed of PAL Airport Services, Philippine Airlines Cargo and the PAL Inflight Center.
• Based at both the Centennial Terminal (Terminal 2) and International Cargo Terminal of Ninoy Aquino International Airport, PAL Airport Services offers ground handling for seven international airlines calling at Manila, while Philippine Airlines Cargo processes and ships an average of 200 tonnes of Manila publications and 2 tonnes of mail daily throughout the country and 368 tonnes of cargo abroad daily.

The Manila International Airport Authority runs a shuttle bus system which connects all four terminals for passengers who have onward connections on flights departing from another terminal.[126] Shuttle buses run every fifteen minutes during daytime hours, but passengers are required to clear immigration and customs to use the system.

Philippine Airlines operates an airside shuttle service between Terminals 1, 2 and 3 for passengers connecting to onward PAL Express flights and vice versa.

Ultimate Bus Experience (UBE Express) operates a Premium Airport Bus Service that serves on all NAIA Terminals and hotels and commercial areas located in the cities of Manila, Makati, Muntinlupa, Quezon City, Pasay, and Parañaque, all in Metro Manila, and the city of Santa Rosa in Laguna. It also has stops at JAM Liner, Philtranco and Victory Liner terminals in Pasay for passengers going to/coming from the provinces of Northern and Southern Luzon. These buses pick-up exclusively at Terminal 3 and drop-off at any of the four Terminals.

HM Transport provides an Airport loop shuttle bus and Premium Point-to-point bus service from Taft Avenue MRT Station and Alabang in Muntinlupa to NAIA Terminal 3. Genesis Transport also provides Premium Point-to-point bus service to Clark International Airport from NAIA Terminal 3. Saulog Transit also provides Premium Point-to-point bus service to Sangley Point Airport in Cavite City from NAIA.

In addition, a city bus route between Diliman in Quezon City and Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange serve the airport.

All four terminals are also served by local jeepney routes serving Parañaque and Pasay.

The Nichols railway station with the elevated roads above leading to the airport

The airport is connected, albeit indirectly, by rail: Baclaran station of the Manila LRT Line 1 and Nichols station of the Philippine National Railways both serve the airport complex.

In the future, with the extension of the existing LRT Line 1, a new station, Manila International Airport station, is set to connect the airport, albeit still indirectly, to the LRT-1. A four-station spur extension of the LRT Line 1, directly connecting Terminal 3 to Baclaran, is also proposed.

Under the new LRT Line 6 proposal, a station will be built near Terminal 1. Once approved, it will directly connect Cavite province with NAIA.[127]

A station of the Metro Manila Subway line will connect the airport directly by rail.[128]

The NAIA Expressway is the first airport expressway in the Philippines.

The NAIA Expressway or NAIA Skyway is the first airport expressway and second elevated tollway in the Philippines. It starts from Sales Interchange of Skyway at the boundary of Pasay and Taguig and ends in Entertainment City, Parañaque. The access ramps of the expressway connects with Terminals 1, 2 and 3 of the airport and also connects with Macapagal Boulevard for motorists and commuters going to/coming from Manila and Manila-Cavite Expressway or CAVITEx for motorists and commuters travelling to/from the province of Cavite.