NNIC reshuffles NAIA airline terminals

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February 25, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines —  The private operator of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has initiated a first round of airline reassignments for operational efficiency.

In an advisory yesterday, the New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC) said it is moving six foreign carriers to Terminal 3 as part of efforts to speed up passenger movement and maximize terminal capacity.

Air China, China Eastern, Vietnam Airlines, Royal Brunei and Shenzhen Airlines will be relocated from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 by March 29.

Japan Airlines will also be moving to Terminal 3 by April 1.

AirAsia Philippines will transfer its international flights to Terminal 1, from Terminal 3.

With the change, the NNIC advised passengers to check their terminal assignment with their airlines before going to NAIA.

“This is to ensure that they don’t head to the wrong terminal and end up losing time for check-in procedures,” the NNIC said.

The airport operator will gain the flexibility to reorganize airline assignments starting March 29, as NAIA will no longer have to deal with turboprops on its runway.

The Manila Slot Coordination Committee, headed by the Department of Transportation, issued a policy mandating airlines to relocate turboprop flights at NAIA.

Turboprops refer to the smaller aircraft used to reach island destinations such as Basco and Siargao, where airports have shorter or unpaved runways, making them incapable of landing jetliners.

Under the P170.6-billion concession signed in 2024, NNIC must increase NAIA’s capacity from 35 million to 62 million per year.

The NNIC is building a new Terminal 4, with a wider capacity to host the domestic flights of AirAsia Philippines.