Getting to NAIA for a flight can be one of the most stressful parts of traveling. The problem is not always flight delays or cancellations, but simply getting to the airport in the first place. Many travelers experienced this in August when a portion of Gil Puyat Avenue got submerged, bringing traffic along the Skyway and several roads leading to the airport to a standstill.

In five years’ time, travelers could have another option by taking the Metro Manila Subway directly to Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA T3), at least based on the government’s current construction schedule.

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The Philippine government, together with representatives from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), officially broke ground on the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) Contract Package 109 (CP109) at NAIA T3 in Pasay City.

According to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the package will connect Taguig and Pasay cities through a 2.4-kilometer underground railway section. It will include a dedicated underground station built directly beneath the NAIA T3 open parking lot.

The NAIA T3 Station is a key component of the country’s first underground railway. It will have a floor area of close to 2 hectares and is projected to serve around 70,000 passengers daily by 2035. That capacity is expected to increase to 74,000 passengers per day by 2045.

For motorists, the airport subway connection could also mean leaving the car or motorcycle at home instead of driving all the way to NAIA. Travelers who choose the subway would no longer need to secure a parking slot at one of the airport’s often packed parking areas and pay for parking while they are away, cutting the overall cost of an airport trip.

DOTr estimates that travel time between Valenzuela City and NAIA T3 could be reduced to around 40 minutes. The same trip currently takes about 1.5 hours under normal conditions and can take considerably longer during rush hours, flooding, and other disruptions.

The entire Metro Manila Subway will span 33.1 kilometers and is being financed through PHP 488.48 billion in funding from JICA. The system is designed to operate 30 eight-car trainsets at speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour.

Full completion of the Metro Manila Subway is currently scheduled for Q3 of 2031.