Manila International Airport is transforming the border experience with biometrics from Amadeus

Passengers at Philippines’ main hub airport can now complete immigration in 20 seconds using biometrics; Technology upgrade supports airport’s $3B modernization with introduction of 78 new biometric eGates 
 
Serving more than 50 million passengers annually Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is the main hub airport in The Philippines. The concession to operate the facility was awarded to NNIC, a subsidiary of conglomerate The San Miguel Group, in 2024, based on a bold vision to transform the airport into a world-class gateway with a $3B modernization. 

Central to this vision is the introduction of a new immigration process based on the very latest biometric innovations. Thanks to the Amadeus technology, passengers at NAIA are able to complete the immigration process easily in less than 20 seconds.

Combining biometric identity validation, document authentication and real-time monitoring the complete solution ensures that only fully verified travelers proceed with their journey. Security and efficiency is further enhanced by Amadeus’ Seamless Journey Platform, which orchestrates the entire process and connects to the necessary backend systems at the country’s border authority.

Ramon S. Ang, President, New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation (NNIC) said: “Delivering a better NAIA starts with investing in technology that removes long-standing bottlenecks. Leveraging Amadeus' state-of-the-art technology, we are proud to have put in place a biometric immigration process that clears travelers in seconds and raises both efficiency and security”

Jonathan Tong, Senior Vice President APAC, Airport & Border Authorities, Amadeus said: “This project is a great example of an airport operator, border authority and technology partner working closely together to reimagine a modern and secure immigration process built around the passenger. At Amadeus we are focused on transforming the experience of travel across the entire journey and we are very excited to be working with NNIC to support its bold vision for Manila’s hub airport.” 

The new biometric immigration experience has been rolled out in a phased approach with the first batch of 24 biometric eGates already operational as of December 2025. The remaining 54 eGates are being deployed in early 2026, as terminal refurbishment works are completed.