[17] In July 1937, Nielson Airport, located in the 45-hectare (4,800,000 sq ft) land in Makati, also then in Rizal, was inaugurated and served as the gateway to Manila; its runways now form Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas.

[18] Following World War II and Philippine independence, Grace Park Airfield closed, while Nielson Airport continued to operate until it was decommissioned in 1948.

On August 21, 1983, oppositionist politician Ninoy Aquino attempted to return to the Philippines from exile in the United States, hoping to convince president Ferdinand Marcos to let go of political power after having held his position for nearly two decades.

Aviation Security Command (AVSECOM) personnel escorted Aquino out of the plane to the tarmac, where an agency van awaited.

[27] Presently, a body mark of Aquino's assassination is on display at the departures area, while the spot at Gate 8 where he was killed has a memorial plaque.

Meanwhile, the larger Terminal 3, which was beset by construction delays and legal issues,[30] opened in 2008 and became fully operational in 2014, serving Cebu Pacific and most international airlines.

[37] Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez supported the initiative, with the latter proposing that airlines relocate some of their flights to Clark International Airport.

[38] Despite initial plans for implementation in August 2018, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) announced its deferment a month prior due to "unforeseen operational constraints".

[42][43] These changes were designed to offer international passengers at Terminals 1 and 3 a wider selection of food and retail outlets, and additional time for duty-free shopping.

Ahead of the airport's privatization, the New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation—a consortium led by San Miguel Corporation—planned another set of terminal reassignments in August 2024, with an initial target implementation date before the Allhallowtide season.

[48] Ahead of NAIA's privatization, in July 2024, the Philippine government reportedly planned to reassign turboprop flights in Manila to secondary airports.

At the time, the government had no official policy for the transfer, but Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John Batan encouraged airlines to move its turboprop flights to Clark International Airport.

[50] The transfer also aims to maximize Clark International Airport's capacity, as it had been underserved since the opening of its expanded terminal in 2022, designed to handle eight million passengers annually.

[52] On February 12, 2018, a consortium of seven conglomerates consisting of Aboitiz InfraCapital, AC Infrastructure Holdings, Alliance Global, Asia's Emerging Dragon, Filinvest Development Corporation, JG Summit Holdings, and Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (which later pulled out in March 2020) submitted a ₱350 billion, or US$6.75 billion, 35-year unsolicited proposal to rehabilitate, expand, operate, and maintain the airport.

[64] On April 27, the Manila International Airport Consortium (MIAC), composed of six organizations (Alliance Global, AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp [under Ayala Corporation], Infracorp Development, Filinvest Development Corporation, and JG Summit Infrastructure Holdings) submitted a ₱100 billion 25-year unsolicited proposal to rehabilitate the airport.

[72] On February 16, 2024, the DOTr awarded the contract to SMC SAP & Co. Consortium, later renamed as New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation (NNIC).

[83] Covering 73,000 square meters (790,000 sq ft), Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport was designed to handle six million passengers annually.

[84] The project's feasibility study and master plan were conducted by the Airways Engineering Corporation in 1973, supported by a US$29.6 million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

[9] As a result, plans were developed to rehabilitate the terminal, including expanding the arrival area, adding parking spaces, and enhancing facilities.

With construction beginning in 1997, the terminal partially opened on July 22, 2008,[106] increasing the airport's capacity by 13 million passengers.

However, before the terminal could be completed, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo called the contract "onerous" and formed a committee to evaluate the buyout agreement.

[114] Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) designed the US$640 million terminal, which has 20 jet bridges and four remote gates served by apron buses.

[116] Since April 2017, a 220-meter (720 ft) long indoor footbridge called Runway Manila has been connecting the terminal to Newport City.

Other operators at Terminal 3 include new entrants Aero K, Air France, Greater Bay Airlines, and HK Express.

[139] The proposed runway has a length of 2,100 meters (6,900 ft) that could allow the landing of an Airbus A320 and increase capacity from 40 planes per hour to 60–70.

[140] A Dutch consultant hired by the government also suggested to build another terminal to cause less disruptions to the general public.

Lufthansa Technik Philippines offers customers aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services.

It provides line maintenance, light aircraft checks, technical ramp handling, and other services to Cebu Pacific Air and third-party airline customers.

[174] On December 8, 2024, NNIC opened a hub for ridehailing services at the multi-level parking building of Terminal 3 to ease congestion along the arrivals road.

Gadon said the renaming of MIA to NAIA in 1987 was "well in advance of the 10-year prescription period for naming public sites after dead personalities".