Ninoy Aquino International Airport is the main transport hub serving the city of Manila, in the Philippines, and its surrounding area, but it is also a major national centre as the largest airport in the country. It acts as a global gateway to the Philippines, making it a very busy airport, serving about 36.6 million passengers annually and hosting many major airlines including AirAsia, Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines. NAIA lies on the border between two cities, Pasay and Paranaque, only 7 kilometres from the city centre of Manila, in a convenient location for travellers to the west coast of the country.
There are four terminals at NAIA, serving a combination of domestic and international flights, two runways and an express line connecting the terminals, free to use for passengers. Ninoy Aquino International Airport is able to host the Airbus A380, making it one of the few national airports able to accommodate such a large aircraft. The airport provides a number of services for visitors, including entertainment, like shops, restaurants and cafes, and practical facilities, including banks, phones, transport information centres and medical care. All terminals have comfortable waiting areas and lounges, but Terminal 3 is the newest and most impressive, covering a light and open space, with modern amenities and creative architectural features.
From NAIA, there are direct bus routes to Manila city centre, which visitors can access from terminals 1 and 2, and there is a rail link station only two kilometres away by taxi. A shuttle bus runs between all four terminals on a regular basis and taxis are available from all parts of the airport, as well as local jeepney services.
Construction of NAIA began on its current site in 1948, when the airport, then called Manila North, moved location, and the new space officially opened in 1961. Major renovations and expansions added three more terminals over the years, with the latest, Terminal 3, opened in 2008. The airport gained its current name in honour of the senator, Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr, assassinated at the airport when returning from the United States in 1983.