President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday accused the former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration of neglecting Taipei Songshan Airport during its eight years in office.
Ma said he began talking about establishing direct flights between Songshan and Shanghai’s Hongqiao Airport when he was Taipei mayor about 10 years ago.
However, when the DPP was in power, it was impossible to realize this goal, he said. When he was campaigning for president, he said he proposed establishing direct flights between Taipei and Shanghai to create “a golden business triangle of Northeast Asia” with Shanghai and Tokyo.
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Direct flights between Songshan and Hongqiao airports were launched on Monday.
Songshan Airport has been in decline after the high-speed rail system became operational, Ma said at the Presidential Office, while adding that Taiwan must continue development.
On the “fifth freedom of the air,” Ma said it was not urgent to negotiate the matter with China because the number of flights and transfers were more important.
The fifth freedom of the air refers to the right of an airline from one country to land in a second country, then to pick up passengers and fly on to a third country, where the passengers finally disembark.
Meanwhile, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), who will be seeking re-election in November, and his DPP opponent, former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), traded barbs over Songshan Airport yesterday.
Su told reporters yesterday that he did not think the airport met the requirements to become an international airport.
On Monday’s launch of direct links between Songshan and Hongqiao airports, Su said he had heard public complaints that the aging municipal airport’s facilities were “too old and disorganized, while airplane tickets were too expensive.”
“For 20 years, Songshan Airport has been in a constant state of almost being relocated,” Su said, adding that as a result, the airport could not even match up to China’s third-tier airports.
One of the election pledges by former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) during his DPP-backed run for mayor in 2006 was for Songshan airport to be moved out of the city and the existing site to be turned into a municipal park.
Su, however, denied advocating the removal of Songshan Airport, saying its location in the center of Taipei was convenient and that Taipei City should not have to rely solely on Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
Instead, he said he would listen to public opinions on how to improve Songshan Airport.
On Su’s comment that he would listen to public opinions on the airport, Hau said: “The former DPP government wanted to abolish the airport ... I am glad that Mr Su realized that a majority of people oppose abolishing the airport.”
Hau also promised to push for improvement at the airport and brushed off Su’s criticism of its current condition, saying Su had opposed developing the airport when he served as premier during the DPP administration.
He said the Ministry of Transportation and Communications had budgeted NT$600 million (US$18 million) for reconstruction of the airport, adding that the city government would cooperate with the Civil Aeronautics Administration in expanding the airport to accommodate a larger number of passengers.
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