Overwhelmed by an increase in passenger traffic from both local and international airlines, the Taichung Airport is in desperate need of expanded facilities, an official said yesterday.
Clone Chang (
"We have experienced a steady growth in passengers ever since we moved our office from Shuinan (
Chang said it was the government's policy for the Taichung Airport to serve domestic passengers only and that facilities were tailored to suit.
But as many airlines have launched charter flight services that operate from Taichung, the facilities have become inadequate, he said.
For example, Chang said that whereas the customs and luggage pickup area was only intended to serve 85 people at a time, it sometimes has to handle as many as 150 people simultaneously.
Chang said the Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) had already drawn up plans for the expansion of the airport, but that these had been stalled in the Council of Economic, Planning and Development.
"Now we are facing a dilemma -- a growing demand and limited facilities," he said.
The Taichung Airport is located on the site of an old an air force base in Shalu Township (
The airport's distance from the Taichung Metropolitan area and the launch of the high speed rail has resulted in a reduction of domestic passengers.
As a result, airlines have begun offering international flights from the airport.
For example, last December Mandarin Airlines began operating flights between Taichung and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
International airline Hong Kong Express Airways, meanwhile, offers flights between Hong Kong and Taichung.
The airport in Taichung has also gained public attention recently for serving high-profile celebrities, including the Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti and Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li (
CAA Director-General Billy Chang (張國政) confirmed yesterday that Mandarin Airline's plan to reduce the number of flights between Taipei and Taichung has been submitted to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications for final review.
In related news, the runway renovation project at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport has been delayed as bidders have challenged some of the bidding requirements.
One of the airport's two runways was scheduled to close for three weeks starting April 26 for the first phase of the renovation project.
The project is estimated to cost NT$45 million (US$1.4 million).
The Government Procurement Act (
The CAA also announced yesterday its plans for flights during the Tomb-sweeping holidays, from next Tuesday to April 9, with a focus on flights from Taipei to Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu.
FAST TRACK? Chinese spouses must renounce their Chinese citizenship and pledge allegiance to Taiwan to gain citizenship, some demonstrators said Opponents and supporters of a bill that would allow Chinese spouses to obtain Taiwanese citizenship in four years instead of six staged protests near the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday morning. Those who oppose the bill proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) demanded that Chinese spouses be granted citizenship only after renouncing their Chinese citizenship, passing a citizenship test and pledging allegiance to Taiwan. The demonstrators, who were protesting at a side entrance to the Legislative Yuan on Jinan Road, were mostly members of the Taiwan Association of University Professors and other organizations advocating Taiwanese independence. Supporters of the bill, led
SILENT MAJORITY: Only 1 percent of Chinese rejected all options but war to annex Taiwan, while one-third viewed war as unacceptable, a university study showed Many Chinese are more concerned with developments inside their country than with seeking unification with Taiwan, al-Jazeera reported on Friday. Although China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to annex it, by force if necessary, 23-year-old Chinese Shao Hongtian was quoted by al-Jazeera as saying that “hostilities are not the way to bring China and Taiwan together.” “I want unification to happen peacefully,” Shao said. Al-Jazeera said it changed Shao’s name to respect his wish for anonymity. If peaceful unification is not possible, Shao said he would prefer “things to remain as they are,” adding that many of his friends feel
Taiwan has “absolute air superiority” over China in its own airspace, Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) told a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Monday, amid concern over whether Taipei could defend itself against a military incursion by Beijing. Po made the remarks in response to a question from Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) on whether Taiwan would have partial or complete air superiority if Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes were to enter Taiwan’s airspace. Po, a retired pilot, said that the Taiwanese military has “absolute air superiority” over PLA
A shipment of basil pesto imported by Costco Wholesale Taiwan from the US in the middle of last month was intercepted at the border after testing positive for excessive pesticide residue, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. Samples taken from a shipment of the Kirkland Signature brand of basil pesto imported by Costco contained 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of ethylene oxide, exceeding the non-detectable limit. Ethylene oxide is a carcinogenic substance that can be used as a pesticide. The 674kg shipment of basil pesto would either be destroyed or returned to its country of origin, as is the procedure for all