Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), ICAO code RPLL, is the primary international gateway to the Philippines and one of the busiest airports in Southeast Asia. Located between the cities of Pasay and Parañaque, just south of Metro Manila, NAIA sits at an elevation of 75 feet above sea level and is uniquely positioned in the heart of a dense urban environment. This location creates both opportunities and challenges, as the airport serves as a lifeline for international connectivity while also facing limitations in expansion due to surrounding development. (Taken from Your Guide to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (RPLL) | December 2025 | ENG + FIL + ᜊᜌ᜔ᜊ᜔ᜌᜒᜈ) Furthermore, today’s featured route is to Taipei from here, so let’s dive in.
Server: Expert
Airline: China Airlines
Aircraft: Airbus A330-300
Origin: Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL)
Destination: Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)
Flight Number: CI702
Route: RPLL-RCTP
Seat: 6A (Business Class)
Time: 2:15
After a check-in process in which we were lucky not to be judged by the airline staff for our inexpert and clumsy Mandarin, we proceeded to the PAGSS Premium Lounge, where we served ourselves a quick late breakfast before the late morning sector today. We then picked up our belongings and boarded the pristine China Airlines A330-300, registered B-18361, the newest A330 in China Airlines’ fleet, leased from Jade Aviation, at stand 9. We greeted the flight attendants warmly as we settled into our seat. Luckily, the window was perfectly aligned with our seat, so we didn’t have to crane at all to view the scenery. However, unlike most global carriers, China Airlines’ Business class does not actually have a ton of privacy, but it still is a solid product, with the Weber 7800 seats unfortunately not being lie-flat. Nevertheless, we only have to sit here for just over two hours, so it should be acceptable and is actually quite a good product on such a short hop.
As we started taxiing, we could see a Cebu Pacific A321neo rotating into the morning sun. Relaxed by the spectacular sight, we were completely caught unawares when the engines spooled up and the cabin started shuddering as we accelerated down the runway and eventually slipped free of our bonds, Laguna de Bay’s water sparkling below us as a Singapore Airlines A350-900 came in from Singapore on the intersecting runway. We could distinctly see swirling wingtip vortices forming in the high-humidity environment of Manila, as a condensation cloud formed on our wing, giving off the impression that it was showering.
Once we reached our cruising altitude of 35000 feet, a flight attendant came by with the food trolley. We collected our lunch and tucked in. Once the food was eaten and the trays were kept by the flight attendants, we switched on the 10-inch seatback screen and got immersed in the movie The Rise of Skywalker. Eventually, the pilots switched on the seatbelt sign and the flight attendants started to clear up the trays. Then, all of a sudden, the plane was buffeted by turbulence. While in the turbulence, we started our descent over the Taiwan Strait, but luckily, the A330 is a solid design, so we were unscathed, except for a few items that had dropped out of our pocket. We changed the IFE display from the movie to the aircraft’s location and looked out the window. We were banking and levelling off next to the majestic peaks of Yangmingshan National Park. We were already very near so we switched off the IFE screen and observed the scenery as the aircraft descended gracefully into Taipei. We were just over Taoyuan, with Luzhu District coming into view.
Our landing was a smooth glide down the runway, with the Butter Machine really living up to its name. The spoilers popped up along the wing as the reversers roared into life, decelerating us rapidly. In the blur of the airport as we sped along, we could see a line of EVA Air aircraft waiting for departure and a company A350-900 climbing out from the parallel runway.
Eventually, the spoilers were seen no more as the reversers stowed and we started taxiing to Stand A8 at Terminal 1. Looking from a better view, we can clarify that the EVA Air aircraft are mostly narrowbodies, with a few 787s scattered in between. We can’t wait to deplane and explore Taipei, especially with the airport looking magnificent right in front of us.
Once we arrived at the gate, we bade goodbye to the slightly-above-average business class seat on a two hour international hop and deplaned with a farewell of our, sadly, inexpert Mandarin to the flight attendants. Then, we headed briskly to baggage collect and immigration, leaving the airport soon enough to board the train to Taipei, in which we shall be spending the day exploring Taipei 101 and Xiangshan, and wrapping it up with some stinky tofu at Shilin Night Market for dinner. Overall, this experience was good, but not something I’d rave about. Anyway, I’d still be pleased to fly it again in future.
Tomorrow: Vietnam Airlines A350-900 Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi!
