List of airports in the Greater Manila Area

Though there are several definitions over what comprises the area, for the purposes of this article the entire administrative region of Metro Manila and the surrounding provinces of Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga and Rizal are considered its components.

As early as the 1980s, there has been recognition of the constraints to expanding Manila (later renamed Ninoy Aquino) International Airport's capacity and its continued ability to handle the projected growth in aircraft movements and passenger traffic.

[7] After considering the cost and viability of five options[8] the pre-feasibility study identified two potential sites for the airport: Sangley Point and Laguna de Bay[9] which would both involve reclaiming at least 2,000 hectares of land.

[11] The target date for the full study's completion was again moved by JICA to early 2016,[8] around January or February, causing the government's timetables for the project's implementation to be pushed back.

In February 2015 the then-Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) Joseph Emilio Abaya announced they will no longer entertain unsolicited proposals from private groups given that they "spark controversies" that detract from the "open, transparent bidding" they intended for the project.

[15] The reversal was made against the advice of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), which in the interest of promoting transparency and preventing charges of unethical dealmaking recommended on 27 October 2016 that the development project for the new Manila airport be subject to competitive bidding rather than through unsolicited mode, given that at least five other private sector groups are keen on undertaking the said project.