The nation’s entrepreneurs are being invited to sample the services on offer at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s business traveler center, which is scheduled to begin trial operations next month.
State-run Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said yesterday that many airports throughout Asia, including those in Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and Thailand, offer a paid service designed specifically for business travelers.
Based on this business model, TIAC said the soon-to-be-launched business travel center would be located between the airport’s first and second terminals, and the three-story facility would be equipped with its own passages to the terminals.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
While regular international flight passengers are told to arrive at the airport two hours before boarding to allow time to check in their luggage and go through security screening, TIAC said travelers paying to use the business travel center only need to be at the airport about 40 minutes before boarding.
They can drive directly into the airport’s restricted zone and park their vehicles right in front of the center.
A separate group of customs, inspection and quarantine officials will be stationed on the ground floor of the center to expedite the inspection process and customers will be assisted by a personal secretary, who will accompany them to the boarding gate.
The center has a multimedia conference room, as well as 16 segregated areas allowing business travelers to enjoy their meals without any disruption. It is also equipped with a spa, sauna and gymnasium. Those requesting massages or hair cuts and styling will have to pay an additional fee and make an appointment in advance.
TIAC said the one-time service charge is NT$8,000 once the center officially opens in October. Those wishing to use the services at the business travel center need to make appointments three days before departure.
Meanwhile, Taipei International Airport (Songshan) might finish construction of an independent terminal to service users of private jet services after the Lunar New Year holidays next year.
The airport said that entrepreneurs and businesspeople prefer to fly in private jets to Songshan because of its location in Taipei and its close proximity to Neihu Technology Park, therefore saving a lot of time for business travelers.
Statistics from the Taipei Aviation Office showed a total of 376 private jets landed and departed from the airport between January and last month, up 100 percent from the same time last year.
In addition to an independent customs facility and a multimedia conference room, the airport said the terminal would have its own airport ramp and aircraft depot.
In related news, construction of the Operations Control Center for the Airport Rail will soon begin after the equipment begins arriving in October, the Bureau of High Speed Rail said yesterday.
The bureau said the control center would be equipped with a supervisory control and data acquisition system, which help detects earthquakes and other forms of natural disasters.
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101