Minister of Transportation and Communications Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) said yesterday the ministry hopes to generate more revenue through the renovated Terminal 1 at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
The renovation, which enlarged the terminal’s area by about 13,223m2, is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.
According to the Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC), the terminal will have a food court featuring Taiwanese and foreign cuisine, as well as international fast-food chains. New duty-free shops will be also be available.
Mao described the renovation project in Terminal 1 as a challenging task, as the construction has to be undertaken while the terminal’s operations continue, like mending someone’s clothes while the person is wearing them.
Mao said the duty-free shops at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport have reported revenue of NT$22.3 billion (US$ 743.5 million) last year. On average, each passenger spends NT$890 in the duty-free shops, which is more than the average amount spent at the Hong Kong International Airport, he said.
He said the renovated Terminal 1 would encourage more flight passengers to shop, which would in turn boost the airport’s revenue.
Meanwhile, the TIAC said yesterday it is scheduled to launch the bidding by engineering consulting firms to help design Terminal Three next week.
The company reduced the budget for Terminal Three from NT$60 billion to about NT$50 billion, as business owners themselves will renovate the spaces they rent.
Terminal Three can accommodate 43 million passenger per year and its construction is scheduled to be completed in 2018.
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