Information and Travel Guide for Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL)
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport, abbreviated NAIA, also known as the Manila International Airport because of its location, serves Manila and the surrounding area in the Philippines. It is named for the Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr., who was killed at the airport in 1983.
It is controlled by the Manila International Airport Authority and is the only airport serving the area. The airport handles nearly 30 million passengers a year, and it is in the top 50 of the world's busiest airports.
History
The original airport was not the Manila Airport that is known today. The Manila International Air Terminal was opened in 1937 at a location called Nielson Field. It was moved in 1948, after The Philippines gained independence, to where it is today, a location previously known as Nichols Field. The original structure at this site is no longer standing, either.
The construction for an international terminal started in 1956 and was completed in 1961. A fire damaged the original building in 1972, so it had to be rebuilt. The new building, which was larger, became the new international terminal for the airport. The other one was to become the domestic terminal.
A fire damaged the other building in 1985, which was the domestic terminal at the time, and it was rebuilt in 1998. The airport took on its current name in 1987. A third terminal was built and scheduled to be completed in 2002, but plans did not go well and the terminal was actually not opened until 2008. Today, there are a total of four different terminals, one of which is for charter flights.
Services and Amenities
Concessions
Financial services - Banks and currency exchange
Passenger services - post offices, telephones
Dining - Restaurants, coffee shops, bars
Shopping - Duty free shops all over the airport
Parking
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport offers secure short and long term parking. The short term parking is available in front of the International and Centennial Terminals. The long-term parking lot is available in front of the Domestic Terminal.
All lots are within walking distance, but there is a free shuttle that runs back and forth to all of the terminals available for use.
Surrounding Area
There are many ways to get to where you want to go when you leave the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Most travel depends on where you want to go when you leave the airport.
Bus and jeepney routes are very common. They will take you to the surrounding areas. There are a total of nine bus routes. You can take the rail as well to get to where you want to go. There is also a shuttle bus that will take you to a station not far away if you want to take advantage of that.
There are plans for links from the airport to the train system that will make it much easier to travel when you leave the airport, but these are not completely set as of yet.