Philippines International Air Transportation

Philippines international air transportation becomes more and more important. In 2009, the NAIA complex, handled about 90 percent of all international traffic in the country and accounted for more than 22 million passengers for both international and domestic movements, which is 75 percent of all passenger movements in the country.

On October 11 , 2007 , an Airbus A380 MSN009 test aircraft landed in NAIA and demonstrated that it can be used under normal airline operating conditions. At 2:45 p.m., the plane touched down on NAIA's longest runway, the 3,700-meter long 06/24 runway. Manila is part of the aircraft's test flight technical route.

The larger Terminal 3 , is the newest terminal in the Manila Airport (NAIA) complex. Constructed starting 1997, the terminal is 98% complete as of 2006. It is one of the most controversial projects the Philippine government has gotten involved in. However, the terminal did open in summer 2008 and all Cebu Pacific flights are operated from this terminal NAIA-3.

Most international carriers still fly to Manila (MNL). But there are more and more international flights to other airports in the country. Second hub after Manila is Cebu (CEB). A rising star is Clark (CRK) from where low cost and smaller Asian airlines fly to international destinations.

Kalibo (KLO) became an international airport in 2010, when the new terminal building was opened. Japanese and Korean charter airlines bring thousands of tourists for their holidays in Boracay.

And there are the projects. The most advanced one is the new Cagayan-Iligan airport in northern Mindanao. Two other projects still only exist on paper: The Carabao Island project for Boracay and the Panglao project on the island of the same name.

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