Ninoy Aquino International Airport

Manila's original airport, Grace Park Airfield (also known as Manila North) in Grace Park, Caloocan (then a municipality of Rizal), 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.[11]

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.[12] Following World War II and Philippine independence, Grace Park Airfield closed, while Nielson Airport continued to operate until it was decommissioned in 1948.

Airport operations were moved to the current site, Nichols Field, due to the flatter terrain, expanse of greenfield land, and the existing USAF base runway (Runway 13/31), which could be used for the airport.[13] The original one-story bungalow terminal was built adjacent to the runway and serves as 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 an international terminal building. The new terminal was designed by Federico Ilustre and was built on the site of Terminal 2. It was inaugurated on September 22, 1961.[14] On January 22, 1972, a fire caused substantial damage to the original terminal, resulting in six casualties.[15]

A slightly smaller terminal was built 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 Terminal 1, a new, higher-capacity terminal.[16] Another fire damaged the old international terminal in May 1985.

On August 21, 1983, politician 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 an agency van awaited. A single gunshot killed him. Several shots were fired, killing alleged assassin, Rolando Galman. Seconds later, gunfire erupted, causing chaos in the plane, the tarmac, and the terminal.

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,[17] renaming the airport in Ninoy's honor.[18] 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.[19] Due to this event, Terminal 1 is nicknamed the "Ninoy Aquino Terminal."

Plans for a new terminal were conceived in 1989 when the Department of Transportation commissioned the French company Aéroports de Paris to conduct a feasibility study to expand capacity. The recommendation was to build two new terminals. Construction of Terminal 2 began in 1995 and opened in 1999.[20]

Construction of a third terminal was proposed by Asia's Emerging Dragon Corporation (AEDP).[21] AEDP eventually lost the bid to PairCargo and its partner Fraport AG of Germany.[21] The structure was originally scheduled to open in 2002. However, a contract dispute between the government of the Philippines and the project's main contractor, Philippine International Air Terminals Co. Inc. (Piatco), delayed the completion and opening.[22] After delays, Terminal 3 partially opened on July 22, 2008. Full operations were initially slated to begin by 2010,[23] then pushed back to 2011,[24] and again to 2014, when Terminal 3 became fully operational on July 31, 2014.[25]

While the original agreement allowed PairCargo and Fraport AG to operate the airport for several years after its construction, followed by a handover to the government, the government offered to buy out Fraport AG for $400 million. Fraport agreed. However, before the terminal could be completed, President Arroyo called the contract "onerous" and formed a committee to evaluate the buyout agreement. 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.[26]

Certain amendments to the original contract caused it to be nullified. In December 2004, the Philippine government took over the terminal, which led to expropriation proceedings.[27] 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 part of the terminal's ceiling before its planned opening in March 2006.[28]

Piatco sued the government before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). In contrast, Fraport separately sued the Philippine government at the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).[29] In 2007, the ICSID case was decided in favor of the government because of Fraport's violation of the Anti-Dummy Law. However, this decision was annulled in 2010 for violating Fraport's right to be heard.[30] A new claim by Fraport was filed at ICSID in March 2011.[31] Piatco formally withdrew its second application to set aside the earlier ICC ruling that dismissed its claims in December 2011.[32]

The ICC ruling in favor of the Philippine government became final in 2012.[32]

Cebu Pacific and Philippines AirAsia Airbus A320s at the remote gates of Terminal 3

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 [literally plant-bullet] scam) spread, creating a scare among travelers.[33] 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 incidents. Duterte said the operation had continued for more than two years.[34] Malacañang Palace and the Philippine Senate investigated the incidents.[35][36] In April 2016, a similar incident occurred.[37]

In February 2018, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) proposed the Schedule and Terminal Assignment Rationalization (STAR) program to mitigate congestion issues across NAIA. As per the rationalization, Terminals 1 and 3 would exclusively handle international flights, while Terminals 2 and 4 would facilitate domestic flights. This revision would deviate from the practice where Terminals 2 and 3 operate both domestic and international flights, contributing to the congestion of both terminals.[38]

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez supported the initiative, with the latter suggesting that airlines relocate some of their flights to Clark International Airport.[38] However, Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services, voiced concerns that a hasty implementation of terminal reallocations might exacerbate existing issues. She suggested that capacity expansion was the main solution to decongesting the airport, highlighting Terminal 2's limited capacity of handling 9 million passengers compared to the current demand of over 16 million domestic passengers. Poe recommended comprehensive reviews of the plan and a reconsideration of the strict timelines for airlines to comply with it.[39]

Despite initial plans for implementation in August 2018, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) announced a deferment of STAR a month prior due to unforeseen operational constraints. The rationalization plan continued to be under review with no official implementation date set.[40] It underwent various revisions over the course of time. Further adjustments were made with the relocation of several Philippine Airlines (PAL) flights to Terminal 1 from Terminal 2 in July 2018 to accommodate terminal rehabilitation.[41]

By October 2018, four international airlines began their transfer operations to Terminal 3, freeing up space for United States flight operations at Terminal 1. Subsequently, more airlines from Terminal 1 were scheduled to relocate to Terminal 3.[42] Alongside, MIAA planned to move PAL Express domestic flights from Terminal 3 back to Terminal 2, while PAL international flights were slated for relocation to Terminal 1. This would have allowed Cebu Pacific to relocate all their domestic flights from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2, effectively segregating international and domestic flights between Terminals 1 and 3 and Terminals 2 and 4 respectively. Ultimately, STAR was officially implemented in December 2022 when PAL's flights to and from Denpasar, the Middle East, and North America transferred to Terminal 1 and Philippines AirAsia transferred its busiest domestic operations, to and from Caticlan and Cebu, from Terminal 4 to Terminal 3.[43]

In April 2023, the MIAA initiated the second phase of its STAR program. This phase involved moving more international airlines to Terminal 3 and some of PAL's international flights to Terminal 1, transitioning Terminal 2 into a fully domestic terminal and consolidating international operations within Terminals 1 and 3. These changes were designed to offer international passengers at Terminals 1 and 3 a wider selection of food and retail outlets, and additional time for duty-free shopping.[44] On April 16, China Southern Airlines, Jetstar Asia, Jetstar Japan, Scoot, and Starlux Airlines transferred to Terminal 3. PAL also relocated its flights to and from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, and Singapore to Terminal 1 on the same day.[45]

Further adjustments to the STAR program were made in June 2023. Ethiopian Airlines, Gulf Air, Jeju Air, and Thai Airways International were relocated to Terminal 3 on June 1.[46] By June 16, all of PAL's international flights moved to Terminal 1. As part of the program's third phase, starting from July 1, all domestic flights of Philippine AirAsia and Royal Air Philippines began operating from Terminal 2. Meanwhile, while MIAA expanded the capacity of Terminal 2, Cebu Pacific's domestic operations remained at Terminals 3 and 4.[47]

On February 12, 2018, a consortium of seven conglomerates consisting of Aboitiz InfraCapital, AC Infrastructure Holdings, Alliance Global, Asia's Emerging Dragon, 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 the airport.[48][49] The consortium's proposal was 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., was to provide technical support.[50] Singapore's Changi Airport Group eyed a 30-percent stake in this venture.[51]

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.[52][53] GMR-Megawide did not propose a new runway, claiming that it would not significantly boost capacity.[53]

The NAIA consortium pulled out of the project in July 2020, allowing GMR-Megawide to take over the project.[54] On December 15, 2020, however, the MIAA revoked the original proponent status (OPS) of GMR-Megawide, who then filed a motion for reconsideration.[55] The MIAA denied the motion for reconsideration.[56] In August 2022, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced a rebidding of the project within the year.[57]

On April 27, 2023, the Manila International Airport Consortium (MIAC), composed of six organizations (Alliance Global, AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp [under Ayala Corporation], Infracorp Development, Filinvest Development Corporation. and JG Summit Infrastructure Holdings) submitted a ₱100 billion 25-year unsolicited proposal to rehabilitate the airport.[58][59] Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said that the department would review the proposal, adding that they are, in fact, currently consulting with the Asian Development Bank in determining who can be the best operator of the airport and what terms should be imposed when this and other proposals eventually get reviewed.[60] This proposal was subsequently dismissed by the administration of President Bongbong Marcos on July 19, which opted to go through a solicited public–private partnership route instead.[61]

The solicited concession agreement is set for fifteen years,[61] with a ten-year extension if needed in case the opening of the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan and Sangley Point Airport in Cavite would be delayed.[62] The bidding opened on August 23, 2023, and the winning bidder is expected to be known by the end of 2023.[63] As of September 23, 2023, six companies have expressed their intention to bid: the Manila International Airport Consortium (MIAC)—the same consortium that submitted an unsolicited bid but was rejected by the government, San Miguel Corporation—the developer of the NMIA, the GMR Group—which also partnered with Megawide for their failed bid to rehabilitate NAIA, as well as Spark 888 Management, Asian Airport Consortium,[64] and Turkish construction company Cengiz Insaat Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S.[65]

Exterior of Terminal 1 (Ninoy Aquino Terminal)

Covering 73,000 square meters (790,000 sq ft), Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport was designed to handle six million passengers annually. It is often referred to as the Ninoy Aquino Terminal, as it was the site of the former senator's assassination. The terminal, opened in 1982,[16] is the airport's second oldest.

The development of the Manila International Airport, which includes Terminal 1, was approved by Executive Order No. 381.[66] The project's feasibility study and master plan were conducted by the Airways Engineering Corporation in 1973, supported by a US$29.6 million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).[67] The detailed engineering design was created by Renardet-Sauti/Transplan/F.F. Cruz Consultant, and the architectural design was developed by Leandro Locsin's L.V. Locsin and Associates.[68] In 1974, the designs were approved by the Philippine government and the ADB. Construction began in the second quarter of 1978 on a site close to the original Manila Airport, within the jurisdiction of Parañaque, then a municipality of Metro Manila.

By 1991, Terminal 1 reached its capacity with a total passenger volume of 4.53 million. From that year, the terminal has been over capacity, recording an annual average growth rate of 11%.[68] To accommodate this, improvements have been made, increasing its capacity to six million passengers.[69]

From 2011 to 2013, Terminal 1 was ranked among the worst airports in Asia by the travel website The Guide to Sleeping In Airports.[6] As a result, plans were developed to rehabilitate the terminal, including expanding the arrival area, adding parking spaces, and enhancing facilities.[70] Renovations began on January 23, 2014.[71] Part of the project involved the installation of buckling restrained braces to enhance the building's structural integrity.[72]

Until 2014, all foreign-based carriers (except All Nippon Airways) operated in Terminal 1. However, to decongest the terminal, 18 international airlines transferred to the larger Terminal 3 between 2014 and 2023.[73][74] Currently, Terminal 1 serves all international flights of flag carrier Philippine Airlines since June 16, 2023,[74] as well as Air China, Air Niugini, Asiana Airlines, China Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, EVA Air, Hong Kong Airlines, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Kuwait Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Oman Air, the international flights of Royal Air Philippines, Royal Brunei Airlines, Saudia, XiamenAir, and Zipair Tokyo.[69]

A view of NAIA Terminal 2 from the NAIA Expressway.

Terminal 2, situated on the old MIA Road, covers an area of 75,000 square meters (810,000 sq ft). Construction began in December 1995,[75] and the terminal started operating in 1999. It received the name 'Centennial Terminal' in commemoration of the centennial year of Philippine independence. French company Aéroports de Paris (ADP) initially designed the terminal for domestic use, but later modified the design to accommodate international flights.[76] With 12 jet bridges, the terminal can accommodate 2.5 million passengers per year in its north wing and five million in its south wing, for a total of 7.5 million passengers per year.[76] Since 2023, its capacity has been increased to ten million passengers per year as the terminal was converted for exclusive use for domestic flights.[74][77]

The airport's control tower in front of Terminal 2

The French government funded a study that led to the terminal's construction and submitted the review to the Philippine government in 1990.[68] In 1991, the French government provided a 30-million-franc soft loan to the Philippine government to fund the detailed architectural and engineering design. ADP finished the design in 1992. The Japanese government followed suit in 1994, providing an 18.12-billion-yen soft loan to the Philippine government to finance 75% of the construction costs and the entirety of the supervision costs. The construction of the terminal officially began on December 11, 1995, and the Philippine government took over the completed terminal on December 28, 1998. The terminal became fully operational in 1999.[78]

In August 2014, authorities announced a plan to expand Terminal 2, incorporating a structure to interconnect Terminals 1 and 2.[79] The plan also called for demolishing the adjacent unused Philippine Village Hotel complex and relocating a fuel depot.[80]

Rehabilitation of the terminal began in September 2018,[81] and by February 16, 2021, the expanded Terminal 2 was inaugurated. The expansion added an additional 2,800 square meters (30,000 sq ft) to the terminal area.[82]

Terminal 2 once exclusively served as the hub for Philippine Airlines and its regional affiliate, PAL Express. This terminal facilitated both domestic and international flights for these airlines, notwithstanding the operation of select PAL Express flights from Terminal 3.[83] Since July 1, 2023, Terminal 2 has been converted to exclusively serve domestic flights of PAL Express, Philippine Airlines, Philippines AirAsia, and Royal Air Philippines.[note 3]

Domestic airside of Terminal 3

Terminal 3, the newest and largest terminal, covers 182,500 square meters (1,964,000 sq ft) and extends 1.2 kilometers (0.75 mi),[76] occupying a 63.5-hectare (157-acre) site on Villamor Air Base. The terminal partially opened on July 22, 2008,[84] increasing the airport's capacity by 13 million passengers.[85] The terminal's development, part of the 1989 expansion plan, commenced in 1997 but was beleaguered by legal battles, red tape, and arbitration cases in the United States and Singapore, as well as technical and safety issues that led to repeated delays.[22] Japan-based Takenaka Corporation undertook the terminal's rehabilitation, and it became fully operational on July 31, 2014.[86][25]

Skidmore, Owings and Merrill designed the US$640 million terminal, which has 20 jet bridges and four remote gates served by apron buses. The terminal's apron area spans 147,400 square meters (1,587,000 sq ft) and can service up to 32 aircraft simultaneously.[87] It has the capacity to serve 33,000 passengers per day or 6,000 per hour.[88] Since April 2017, a 220-meter long indoor footbridge called Runway Manila has been connecting the terminal to Newport City.[89]

Since its inauguration, Terminal 3 has predominantly catered to Cebu Pacific's domestic and international operations,[84] and since 2014, the international flights of the AirAsia Group.[74][90][91] In addition, Terminal 3 is served by seventeen other foreign airlines,[92] most of which formerly operated at Terminal 1.[93][87][41]

Exterior of Terminal 4

Constructed in 1948, Terminal 4, also known as the Manila Domestic Passenger Terminal or the Old Domestic Terminal, is the first and original structure of the airport, as well as its oldest and smallest terminal.[94] Positioned on the old Airport Road, the Domestic Terminal is located near the north end of Runway 13/31.[95]

Since 2023, Terminal 4 has been specifically assigned for turboprop aircraft, functioning exclusively with ground-loaded gates.[96] This terminal, which accommodates up to three million passengers annually, primarily hosts domestic flights by regional airlines such as AirSWIFT, Cebgo, and Sunlight Air.[97][74]

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the airport authority closed Terminal 4 to minimize operating costs, while the remaining three terminals resumed operations in June 2020 upon the lifting of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.[98] During its closure, the terminal was utilized as a vaccination site for airport employees. Terminal 4 resumed its operations on March 28, 2022.[99]

NAIA's primary runway is 3,737 meters (12,260 ft) long and 60 meters (200 ft) wide,[100] running at 061°/241° (designated as Runway 06/24). Its secondary runway is 2,258 meters (7,408 ft) long and 45 meters (148 ft) wide,[101] running at 136°/316° (designated as Runway 13/31). The primary runway was oriented at 06/24 to harness the southeast and southwest winds. Of the 550 daily flights, 100 take the secondary runway. It mainly caters to 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.[102]

Runway 13/31 closed in 2020 for rehabilitation.[103] The runway was reopened on February 16, 2021, along with a newly constructed taxiway.[104]

Former Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya proposed a new runway adjacent to the existing Runway 06/24.[105] The proposed runway has a length of 2,100 meters (6,900 ft) that could allow the landing of an Airbus A320 and increase capacity from 40 planes per hour to 60–70.[106] A consultant hired by the government, building another terminal to be less disruptive.[107]

Previously, the Japan International Cooperation Agency proposed Sangley Point in Cavite as the site of an international airport serving the Greater Manila Area, meaning Sangley could serve as NAIA's third runway.[108]

Aircraft of Philippine Airlines parked next to the maintenance hangars of Lufthansa Technik Philippines

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 provide industry standard maintenance, major modifications, cabin reconfigurations, engine maintenance, and painting for the 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 maintenance.

The company also opened an Airbus A380 maintenance hangar to allow the aircraft to be repaired at the airport facility.[109][110] It also provides technical and engineering support for the entire Philippine Airlines fleet and other international airline fleets.[111]

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.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) operates the PAL Learning Center within the airport's premises. The center includes training facilities for pilots and cabin crew, catering services, a data center, and an Airbus A320 flight simulator.[112]

The airport is a gateway facility for DHL. On March 12, 2006, the company opened its first quality control center.[113]

Notes

Notes

• Philippine Airlines also maintains integrated airport ground handling services, cargo operations and a full catering service for it and other airlines.[137] 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.

MIAA runs a shuttle bus system that connects the terminals for passengers making connections.[142]

Philippine Airlines operates an airside shuttle service between Terminals 1, 2, and 3.

Ultimate Bus Experience (UBE Express) operates a Premium Airport Bus Service that connects terminals, hotels, and commercial areas in Manila, Makati, Muntinlupa, Quezon City, Pasay, and Parañaque, all in Metro Manila, and the city of Santa Rosa in Laguna. It stops at JAM Liner, Philtranco and Victory Liner terminals in Pasay for passengers going to/coming from the provinces of Northern and Southern Luzon. Passengers load 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-3 station and Alabang in Muntinlupa to Terminal 3. Genesis Transport also provides Premium Point-to-point bus service to Clark from Terminal 3. Saulog Transit provides Premium Point-to-point bus service to Sangley Point Airport in Cavite City.

City bus routes also connect the airport to Diliman in Quezon City and Balagtas and San Jose del Monte in Bulacan, respectively.

All four terminals are 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.

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

The NAIA Expressway/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. Access ramps connect with Terminals 1, 2, and 3 and with Macapagal Boulevard for motorists and commuters traveling to/from Manila and Manila-Cavite Expressway or CAVITEx for motorists and commuters travelling to/from Cavite province.