Travel Alert: NAIA Reassigns International Flights

Travelers heading out of Ninoy Aquino International Airport this summer will want to pause before booking that ride to the terminal. A quiet but significant shuffle is underway, and it could change where you check in, board, and claim your luggage.

The New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation has decided to reassign several airlines in an effort to ease congestion—a perennial frustration for passengers. Starting March 29, a handful of carriers will leave Terminal 1 behind and set up shop at Terminal 3. Air China, China Eastern, Vietnam Airlines, Royal Brunei, and Shenzhen Airlines are among those making the move, with Japan Airlines joining them on April 1.

But the reshuffle isn’t one-way traffic. AirAsia Philippines and AirAsia Berhad, whose international flights carry the codes Z2 and AK, will head in the opposite direction, shifting from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1. Their domestic flights, however, remain firmly rooted at Terminal 2, untouched by the changes.

For passengers, the implications are straightforward but important. The terminal printed on your ticket dictates everything—check-in counters, baggage drop, boarding gates, and baggage claim. A change in assignment means a change in where you begin and end your journey. Airlines are expected to send updated itineraries to reflect the new arrangements, so don’t be alarmed if a fresh email lands in your inbox. It’s not a cancellation, just a redirection.

Schedules themselves should remain intact unless carriers announce otherwise, but the safest move is still to confirm with your airline before heading out. The shuffle is designed to make the airport run more smoothly, but for travelers, it’s a reminder that even the most familiar routines can shift overnight.

In the end, the story is less about disruption than adaptation. NAIA is trying to balance its load, and passengers are asked to adjust with it. The best advice is simple: check your terminal, stay alert, and let the season’s journeys unfold with fewer crowds and, hopefully, fewer delays.