Airport doubts rebuffed

"I was the director general of the Civil Aeronautics Administration. I know what's doable and what's not."

Tsai Duei, Minister of Transportation and Communications

Minister of Transportation and Communications Tsai Duei (蔡堆) said yesterday that the proposal to lift restrictions on buildings constructed near Songshan Airport had nothing to do with upcoming legislative elections.

Tsai said the change would neither reduce Songshan's capacity nor affect the types of airplanes that are able to land at the airport.

"I was the director general of the Civil Aeronautics Administration [CAA]," he said. "I know what's doable and what's not."

The policy, if implemented, must be carried out in a manner that will neither interfere with aviation safety nor reduce air traffic at the airport, Tsai said.

Tsai, however, said that even if the government eventually decides to loosen the restrictions, that does not mean that buildings could be constructed just anywhere near the airport. Nor did it mean that the government cannot regulate the height of the buildings.

Tsai made the comments while answering questions from People First Party (PFP) Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) at the legislative Transportation Committee yesterday.

Lee asked if the measure would hinder the ability of pilots to safely operate airplanes in the area.

He also asked if the CAA had ever considered if the change would affect the airport's ability to become an international airport should the government allow direct flights to operate between China and Taiwan.

Tsai said that the CAA had entrusted a company with the task of researching the possibility of lifting the construction restrictions. He said that the assessment report has just been submitted to the CAA and was still under review.