IMPORTANT: ON 16 JUNE 2023, MNL TERMINAL 2 BECAME FULLY DOMESTIC. ALL INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS AT MNL NOW OPERATE OUT OF TERMINALS 1 AND 3 ONLY. PLEASE BEAR THIS IN MIND WHEN REFERRING TO INFORMATION PUBLISHED BEFORE THAT DATE.
Due to red tape and poorly designed infrastructure, transferring between flights at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (IATA: MNL / ICAO: RPLL) – commonly referred to as NAIA – is more complicated than at other major aviation hubs.
NOTE: This Airport Guide and the separate posts linked to it should be used only for general guidance. Details may change at any moment and without prior notice.
CONTENTS
OVERVIEW
None of the terminals at MNL is physically connected to any of the others. Purely airside inter-terminal connections may be difficult or impossible for some itineraries, and minimum connection times often stretch into hours.
Passengers transferring between international flights using different terminals may need to exit through immigration and customs (collecting their bags as they do) and check in again for their subsequent flight as if it were a separate journey. In this case, even if a passenger has no intention of visiting the Philippines, they must comply with Philippine border control requirements as they will be making a formal entry into the country before the connecting flight.
When transferring from an international flight to a domestic flight, you MUST first pass through immigration and customs unless the airline advises otherwise. Barring special arrangements, you will not be able to transit airside and your luggage will not be automatically transferred through to the final domestic destination. (Note: Depending on the carrier, bags might be pre-tagged to the last airport. You would still need to claim them for customs clearance at MNL and re-check them in afterwards.) As there are no border formalities for internal travel within the Philippines, local authorities must evaluate your qualifications for admission and screen your baggage at the actual port of entry, which is MNL and not the final airport you are flying domestically to.
As always, you should confirm all details of transit procedures with your airline in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises on the ground.
INTER-TERMINAL SHUTTLE SERVICE
The airport authority runs an hourly complimentary landside shuttle for the exclusive use of passengers connecting between flights in different terminals. (Note: an airline ticket is needed to avail of this service.) Click here to learn more.
In addition, Philippine Airlines runs a complimentary shuttle service for passengers on qualifying connections. Refer to their website for details.
AIRLINE-SPECIFIC FLIGHT CONNECTION POLICIES
Philippine Airlines (PR)
PR offers airside connections for international flight transfers within its home base at MNL Terminal 1. Refer to the links supplied below for further details.
Connecting flights – This page sets out the airline’s general policies and procedures for transfers, including minimum connecting times.
NAIA Transfer Guide (updated August 2024) – This PDF document contains detailed, step-by-step procedures – including terminal maps – for different flight transfer combinations (international, domestic, inter-terminal, etc.).
Transit Baggage Guide – This image outlines what connecting PR passengers need to do with their baggage when changing flights.
Note: An official social media post (issued via the airline’s Facebook page on 07 April 2023) states that passengers travelling with PR to a specific set of domestic destinations don’t need to self-transfer their checked luggage to T2 when connecting from a PR international flight that docks at T1. As the post is confusingly worded, passengers should contact PR directly and confirm what arrangements will apply to their specific case.
Cebu Pacific (5J)
Low-cost airline 5J is a point-to-point carrier and does not operate fully checked-through connections. When flights are searched for on their website, any results involving a transfer are displayed with the following message: “This flight has a [time in hours/minutes] layover in [city/airport], which requires you to collect and check in your baggage again”.
Flight Connections and Disruptions – This page sets out the airline’s general policies and procedures for transfers, including minimum connecting times. (NB: The link appears to work correctly on desktop browsers but not on mobile devices.)
Other Airlines
The following list is limited only to airlines that provide transit/connection information specifically for MNL on their official websites. As some of the data on these websites is clearly out of date – or may not accurately reflect procedures as operated on the ground – passengers should reach out to their respective airlines to confirm the steps required for a smooth transfer.
Within striking distance 
Great!!
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