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| City Guide - Manila - Air | ||
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Air Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) Tel: (02) 832 5097 or 833 5998. Fax: (02) 833 1180. Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is the city's ageing main airport, located in the district of Paranaque, 12km (seven miles) southeast of Manila. The new NAIA Centennial Terminal II, just down the MIA Road from the old terminal, is now the international and domestic hub for the national carrier, Philippine Airlines, as well as many major airlines and charter flights from Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other regional centres. Major airlines: The national carrier is Philippine Airlines (PAL; tel: (02) 523 7046; website: www.philippineair.com), still in business after a brush with bankruptcy. Philippine Airlines links Manila to 26 cities in 19 countries and provides a regular service to and from 43 domestic destinations. Other major domestic carriers are Air Philippines (tel: (02) 843 4938) and Cebu Pacific (tel: (02) 636 7770). International carriers include Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Gulf Air, Kuwait Airways, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways. Approximate flight times to Manila: From London is 15 hours 30 minutes; from New York is 17 hours 30 minutes; from Los Angeles is 12 hours 35 minutes; from Toronto is 17 hours 20 minutes and from Sydney is 7 hours 40 minutes. Airport facilities: The airport has duty-free shopping, souvenir shops, a Philippine National Bank (PNB) and several ATMs, foreign exchange facilities, a post office and a small tourist information office. There is also a restaurant, car hire (Avis and Hertz) and hotel representative counters. Luggage porters are available for around P50 and there is a left-luggage room. Baby-changing facilities and a massage service (P150) are available. Free telephones in the baggage claim area allow visitors to phone ahead to confirm or arrange accommodation. Business facilities: NAIA provides a business centre, computer rental, Internet access, fax service, telephone and executive lounge. Arrival/departure tax: The fee for the use of the airport is P550 at NAIA. It is worth checking with the airport to avoid inconvenience (tel: (02) 524 1703 or 832 2964) as the fee is liable to change without notice. The charge is payable in Philippine Pesos or its equivalent in US Dollars. Transport to the city: The journey time into Manila varies enormously depending on the time of day. At peak times it can take up to two hours; at best it will take 30 minutes. It is recommended to only take a taxi with a Department of Tourism (DOT) accreditation. Flagging a taxi on the road outside the airport is notoriously expensive and often dangerous. Avis run a special car hire service into Manila. This can be booked from the USA before departure (tel: (800) 331 1084, ext 7321, international department) or coupons can be obtained from the Avis desk in the arrivals hall. The cost is around P800 for the trip to the city. For transport into Makati, Cubao, Quezon City or any destinations along Manila's ring road (EDSA), there are buses that can be picked up on the main road outside the NAIA. They are located beyond the car park and under the flyover to the right. They also stop outside the domestic terminal and will cost up to P20 depending on the destination. The buses run every 15 minutes 0500-2300. Jeepneys are another local speciality. They are all privately owned and will cost around P3. They run to and from Baclaran where there is a metrorail terminal along Quirino Avenue to complete the journey to the city. The metrorail costs P10 and connects to Pedro Gil station in Malate or United Nations Avenue in Ermita from 0530-2230 every day. |
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