Travel & Nomad

Manila Airport (NAIA) Arrival Guide 2026: Terminals, Getting Online, Grab, Taxis and Cash

A dated guide to arriving at Manila's NAIA: the terminals after the 2026 reshuffle, the new operator, getting online before the Grab queue, taxis and fares, luggage storage, and cash versus QR.

Quick answer: As of 2 November 2026, NAIA has three working terminals: Terminal 1 for international flights, Terminal 2 for domestic ones and Terminal 3 for both, and the airport has been run since 14 September 2024 by New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC), a San Miguel-led consortium. The best first move is to be online before the pick-up queue, book Grab or use the official taxi queue, and keep small peso notes for the rest.

Key takeaways

Check your terminal with the airline. Several carriers moved in March and April 2026, and Terminal 4 will not come back as a passenger terminal, according to Philstar in August 2026.
NNIC runs NAIA, MIAA regulates. Ownership stays with the government; the official traveller guide now lives at betternaia.com.
Grab shows the fare before you ride. NAIA to Makati runs about P200 to P300 on the airport guide's estimates (19 May 2026). On 8 August 2026 a taxi was suspended for charging a tourist P2,000 for a five-minute ride.
Install your data before you land. A traveller reported the Grab queue was long without a local SIM, and a tourist SIM needs passport registration.

You walk out of the Terminal 3 arrivals hall with a bag, a phone at 9% and no data, and a driver is already offering to carry your luggage. This is where most NAIA stories begin, and the airport changed under your feet in 2026: new terminal assignments, a private operator and a closed Terminal 4. Here is what is true as of 2 November 2026, in the order you meet it.

The short version: pick the right terminal, get online, order your ride in the app and carry small cash. The details below say how.

Which NAIA terminal will I land at?

Terminal 1 is the original international terminal and handles international flights only; Terminal 2 is domestic; Terminal 3 handles international and domestic flights. The terminals are not connected to each other. The airport guide at betternaia.com lists a free inter-terminal shuttle, the UBE Express NAIA Loop and PAL transfer buses for moving between them.

The 2026 reshuffle matters if you booked months ago. Philstar reported on 25 February 2026 that Air China, China Eastern, Vietnam Airlines, Royal Brunei and Shenzhen Airlines would move from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 by 29 March, Japan Airlines by 1 April, and AirAsia Philippines' international flights from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1. Philippine Airlines runs its international flights from Terminal 1. I could not verify which terminal Cebu Pacific's international flights use today, so check with your airline the day before.

Terminal 4, closed for rebuilding, will not return as planned: Philstar reported on 27 August 2026 that the operator dropped its plan to rebuild it as a passenger terminal and will use the site for aircraft parking, while the airport regulator said it had not been officially told.

Who runs Manila airport now?

New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC), led by San Miguel Corporation, took over operations and maintenance from the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) on 14 September 2024, according to Manila Bulletin and GMA News. The government keeps ownership and MIAA remains the regulator: in August 2026 it was reviewing NNIC's reported P170.6-billion concession, and it was due to finish handing the airport's CCTV control to NNIC in November 2026. Reports differ on the concession's length and cost, so I do not quote them. The practical effect: mnlairport.ph now redirects to betternaia.com, the airport's traveller guide.

How do I get online at NAIA?

Free public Wi-Fi at Terminal 3 launched with Converge in 2023, with a daily time cap per registered user; terms may have changed since, and open airport Wi-Fi is the last place to open a bank app (see our scams guide). A physical SIM at the airport needs passport registration, explained in tourist SIM registration.

As of 2 November 2026, the Fizen catalogue lists Philippines country plans on Globe 4G and 5G; fixed-data plans slow to 128 kbps once the data is used, and there is an unlimited high-speed option. Check Package details in the app before you buy. A travel eSIM is data only, so keep your home SIM on for bank codes. Install it at home on Wi-Fi so it connects on landing; if it does not, check the data roaming switch and the line label, as in this roaming-label guide. Your travel eSIM gift is waiting: US$10 of eSIM credit in the eSIM tab of the Fizen app, taken off the bill automatically at checkout (up to 30% of each plan, no code). You can pay with USDT on Solana or BNB Chain, or by card.

How do Grab and taxis work from NAIA?

At Terminal 3, the airport guide says to walk to the end of the terminal after baggage reclaim, where the Grab bays are inside the transport hub; at Terminals 1 and 2 the bays line the curb after the arrivals level. TripAdvisor posts from 2025 describe a different Terminal 3 spot (the multilevel parking, level A, near Gate 7), so follow the pick-up note inside the app. The guide's Grab estimates (19 May 2026): Makati P200 to P300, BGC P280 to P380, Mall of Asia P250 to P350. Fares rise at peak hours, in rain and late at night.

Airport taxis come in two kinds: coupon taxis charge a fixed fare by destination zone, and yellow metered taxis run on the meter. The guide calls airport taxis a last resort, says to use only the official queue and keep the dispatch slip, and to ignore anyone offering a ride inside the terminal. Press reports say the LTFRB approved a rise in the airport taxi flag-down from P75 to P115 from 19 March 2026. On 8 August 2026 it suspended a taxi for 30 days after a foreign tourist was charged P2,000 for a five-minute ride (Daily Tribune); more cases are in our Philippines scams guide. UBE Express airport buses were P150 to Victory Liner Pasay or PITX on the same guide.

Is there luggage storage at Manila airport?

The betternaia.com guide pages I read do not mention left luggage. Travel blogs and one forum post name a Luggage & More counter in the Terminal 3 arrivals area, charging per piece (about P350 a day or P200 for three hours in that undated post). I could not confirm the counter's current hours or prices, so treat it as a lead to check, not a fact.

Cash or QR on arrival?

You will need a little cash for the first hour: terminal and ferry fees, tricycles and tips. Change money at an established counter and count it; money changers can refuse old or marked dollar bills, as in this Manila money-changer guide. Breaking large notes early saves arguments about change.

Once you are in a mall, cafe or restaurant, QR Ph codes are common; I could not find a list of NAIA shops that take them, so ask at the counter. Fizen QR Pay lets visitors and foreigners pay QR Ph codes from USDT; people who live in the Philippines cannot use it there. It is funded only with USDT on Solana or BNB Chain (BNB Chain deposits need no gas, Solana needs a little SOL), USDT on another network or another token cannot be deposited, and KYC applies. Limits are US$800 per payment and US$1,000 per week. Steps: QR Pay getting started guide. Our entry requirements guide covers eTravel and the paperwork before the flight, and the travel tax guide covers the way out.

Frequently asked questions

What is Manila airport Terminal 3 used for?

Terminal 3 handles international and domestic flights, according to the airport guide. As of 2 November 2026 it also hosts carriers moved there in March and April 2026, including Air China, China Eastern, Vietnam Airlines, Royal Brunei, Shenzhen Airlines and Japan Airlines, so confirm with your airline.

Who operates Manila airport now?

New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC), a San Miguel-led consortium, has run NAIA's operations and maintenance since 14 September 2024. The government owns the airport and MIAA is the regulator.

How much is Grab from NAIA to Makati?

About P200 to P300 on the airport guide's estimates dated 19 May 2026. Fares can rise with demand, rain and late-night hours, and Grab shows the price before you book.

Is there luggage storage at NAIA Terminal 3?

A Luggage & More counter in the arrivals area is named by travel blogs and one forum post, but I could not confirm current hours or rates. Check before you rely on it.

Can I pay by QR on arrival in Manila?

QR Ph is widely used in Philippine malls and cafes, but I could not find a list of NAIA shops that accept it. Carry small peso notes for the first hour, then use QR where a code is displayed.

Your travel eSIM gift is waiting: US$10 of eSIM credit

Land in the Philippines already online. Fizen eSIM covers 150+ countries, with Globe 4G and 5G plans for the Philippines. A new Fizen programme puts US$10 of eSIM credit in the eSIM tab of the Fizen app, taken off the bill automatically at checkout (up to 30% of each plan). Pay with USDT on Solana or BNB Chain, or by card via Stripe. The same app pays QR Ph codes for visitors. Prefer the web? fizen.io/esim works too.

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Sources

Airport guide pages dated 5 and 19 May 2026; terminal and operator news dated February to August 2026; read on 2 November 2026. Luggage storage and Cebu Pacific's terminal could not be verified. eSIM details read from the Fizen catalogue on 2 November 2026.