BetterNAIA

NAIAAirport overview

Ninoy Aquino International Airport

Ninoy Aquino International Airport, or NAIA, is the country's main international gateway and the busiest airport in the Philippines. It serves Metro Manila and sits across the cities of Pasay and Parañaque.

The airport traces its roots to the postwar Manila International Airport, which moved to the Nichols Field area after earlier airport operations outgrew their previous site. Over the decades, as the passenger demand outpaced the capacity, NAIA expanded in pieces: a new runway, terminals, and other facilities built in different eras. The airport's expansion has been a bit of a patchwork, and up to the present the terminals are still not connected to each other.

NAIA was originally known as Manila International Airport. In 1987, it was officially renamed Ninoy Aquino International Airport under Republic Act No. 6639, after former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., who was assassinated at the airport in 1983.

  1. Terminal 1

    International

    The original international gateway

    Opened
    1981
    Floor area
    104,708 sqm
    Designed for
    Originally 4.5M / year, modified to 6.5M
    Currently
    International flights only

    Manila's first major international terminal. For decades, this was where most foreign flights came in and out before Terminal 3 went into full operation.

    Read more about Terminal 1

  2. Terminal 2

    Domestic

    The Centennial Terminal, now all-domestic

    Opened
    1998
    Floor area
    73,000 sqm
    Designed for
    Originally 5M domestic + 2.5M international, modified to 10M domestic
    Currently
    Domestic flights only

    Built as Philippine Airlines' dedicated hub with both domestic and international wings. Converted into an all-domestic terminal in 2023.

    Read more about Terminal 2

  3. Terminal 3

    International + Domestic

    The largest and most modern terminal

    Opened
    2008
    Floor area
    183,000 sqm
    Designed for
    Originally 13M international, modified to 9M international + 5M domestic
    Currently
    International and Cebu Pacific domestic

    The airport's biggest passenger terminal, finally fully operational in 2014 after years of delays. Today it carries the bulk of NAIA's traffic.

    Read more about Terminal 3

  4. Terminal 4

    Closed

    Old domestic terminal, being replaced

    Opened
    1948
    Floor area
    6,100 sqm
    Designed for
    Old T4: 3M domestic / year
    Currently
    Closed (November 2024)

    NAIA's smallest terminal, dedicated to turboprop and small-aircraft domestic flights. Closed in late 2024 and a replacement is under construction.

    Read more about Terminal 4

  5. Terminal 5

    Planned

    The next big expansion at NAIA

    Opened
    Coming soon
    Floor area
    TBA
    Designed for
    TBA
    Currently
    Site cleared; construction stage

    Rising next to Terminal 2 on the former Philippine Village Hotel site. Planned as a domestic-only extension of T2 under NAIA's modernization program.

    Read more about Terminal 5