NAIA or Clark? Reading MNL and CRK on Your Ticket, and Getting Between the Two Airports

Two airports share the Manila market, and a surprising number of travellers book a hotel at the wrong one. NAIA (code MNL) is the airport this site covers, in Pasay and Parañaque inside Metro Manila. Clark International Airport (code CRK) is at Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga, 80 to 100 km to the north, and some airlines and booking sites label it Manila-Clark. This page tells you how to read the ticket, how to get between the two, and where to sleep for each.

Read the code, not the city

Look at the three-letter code on the booking: MNL is NAIA, CRK is Clark. Low-cost carriers sell Clark flights under a Manila banner, and a return trip can arrive at one airport and depart from the other. If the code says CRK, nothing on this site is close: the Newport hotels are two to three hours away by road, and the hotels at Clark Freeport (Quest Hotel, Royce, Clark Marriott, Midori, Widus and others) are the ones to look at. If it says MNL, read our terminals guide to find out which of NAIA’s three terminals, which matters almost as much.

Getting between the airports

The practical link is the Genesis Transport Premium Point-to-Point bus between NAIA Terminal 3 and Clark Airport, running around the clock on a fixed timetable published on the Genesis site, at about ₱480 one way and two to three hours on NLEX and the Skyway, longer in the evening rush or rain. A free shuttle operated for LIPAD, Clark’s operator, in early 2026 and ended in May 2026; the paid P2P continues. From Terminals 1 and 2, take the free inter-terminal shuttle to Terminal 3 first. A Grab or taxi to Clark costs several thousand pesos; there is no rail link, although the North-South Commuter Railway under construction is meant to reach Clark eventually.

The same-day connection

A connection between the two airports is a road trip with a flight at each end, and the road is the variable. Count backwards: check-in closes 45 to 60 minutes before a domestic departure and two to three hours before an international one, the bus takes two to three hours, buses leave on a schedule rather than on demand, and an international arrival at NAIA takes 45 to 90 minutes from landing to the kerb. That is five to six hours minimum, and if the first flight is late or EDSA is flooded you miss the second. The safer plan is an overnight at a Newport hotel five minutes from Terminal 3, the first P2P bus in the morning, and a flight from Clark around midday; the reverse works the same way with an evening bus into NAIA and a night across Runway Manila.

Where to sleep for each airport

For NAIA, the eight hotels on this site: seven in Newport within a 10-minute walk of Terminal 3, led by the Sheraton, Marriott, Savoy and Belmont, and the Nobu Hotel Manila 10 minutes from Terminals 1 and 2. For Clark, stay inside the Freeport Zone, five to fifteen minutes from the terminal; the airport itself has no hotel. For a trip that uses both, the Newport hotels are the better base because the P2P bus leaves from Terminal 3 next door and the Holiday Inn Express and Hilton park guests’ cars free while they ride north.

Why Clark exists

Clark is the former US air base turned second gateway, with a new terminal opened in 2022 and room to grow that NAIA, hemmed in by the city, does not have. The government’s long-term plan moves turboprop and some low-cost traffic north, and the New Manila International Airport at Bulacan, under construction north of the city, is meant to open in the 2030s. For now NAIA carries the bulk of the traffic and almost all long-haul flights, and Clark is the airport to double-check before booking any Manila hotel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Clark Airport in Manila?

No. Clark International Airport (CRK) is at Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga, 80 to 100 km north of Metro Manila, two to three hours by road depending on traffic. Airlines and booking sites sometimes list it as Manila-Clark, which is how travellers end up at the wrong airport.

How do I get from NAIA to Clark?

The Genesis Transport Premium Point-to-Point bus runs around the clock between NAIA Terminal 3 and Clark Airport on a fixed timetable, about ₱480 one way and two to three hours; the free LIPAD shuttle that ran in early 2026 ended in May 2026. A Grab or taxi costs several thousand pesos. There is no train between the airports.

Can I connect between NAIA and Clark on the same day?

Only with a very wide margin: five to six hours between the first flight's landing and the second flight's check-in cut-off, and a willingness to lose the bus if traffic on NLEX or EDSA is bad. An overnight at a Newport hotel and the first morning bus is the safe version.

Which airlines use Clark?

Clark's schedule changes often; in 2026 it includes Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines domestic and regional flights, AirAsia, Scoot, Jetstar Asia, Qatar Airways, Emirates seasonal services and several Korean and Chinese carriers. Check the airport code on your booking, not the city name.

Information last verified: October 1, 2026