Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has stepped up its rankings on the list of the most internationally connected airports in the world.
In a press release on Sunday, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said that NAIA, which was known by its International Air Transport Association (IATA) code MNL, ranked 15th in the top 50 global airport megahubs and secured the 3rd spot in the top 25 low-cost carrier airport megahubs.
Citing the 2023 Megahubs Index by the Official Airline Guide (OAG), MIAA highlighted the step-up of MNL for this year in terms of international connectivity as it places at rank 15 — which is way higher than in 2019 when it ranked 29th.
Philippine Airlines, which is the flag carrier, emerged as the dominant air carrier with a 32% share of flights.
In terms of low-cost international connections this year, MNL stands out in 3rd place among the top 25 megahubs trailing only KUL (Malaysia) and ICN (Republic of Korea).
Cebu Pacific Air, the country's leading low-cost carrier (LCC) under MNL, will be launching flights to Da Nang, a new destination from Manila, starting on December 7.
"Thirteen Asia Pacific airports, including MNL, dominate the rankings, reflecting the high level of LCC penetration in South Asia and Southeast Asia," MIAA said in its statement.
In the same list, under the lead of the United Kingdom's London Heathrow Airport, MNL is ranked 6 among the top international megahubs in the Asia-Pacific region.
Meanwhile, OAG said that the presence of seven Asian airport hubs in the Global Top 20 is significant considering the region is still on the path towards a full recovery.
MNL is currently hosting 40 international carriers serving 58 international destinations. The latest addition to NAIA’s roster in 2023 is ZIPAIR, which launched its first flight between Manila and Narita last July.
Philippine Airlines has introduced nonstop flights to Perth, and Air China now directly connects Tianfu Chengdu to NAIA.
“We are pleased that MNL is able to ride the momentum brought about by the strong and consistent travel rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the LCC penetration in our region. We are likewise grateful for the confidence the international carriers have extended to us. Testament to this is the growing number of applications from various international carriers who wish to operate flights in NAIA,” MIAA Officer-in-Charge Bryan Co said.
“NAIA being the country’s main gateway makes it incumbent upon us, as the airport authority, to expand the destinations Filipinos, as well as our guests, can fly to and from MNL,” he added.
