Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) yesterday said it plans to spend about two years revamping the taxiways at the nation’s largest international airport following reports of severe mudflow issues.
The airport company said it would have people monitor the the taxiway pavement all day, every day, adding that it would close taxiways immediately if any mudflow occured and try to repair damage within 30 minutes.
The company has come under heavy criticism as the taxiway pavement cracks when it rains and mudflow seeps from underground to the surface. Some pilots expressed concerns over the problem on the taxiways, which could increase aviation safety risks.
They also said the airport’s runway-related facilities are deplorable and runways are inferior to those in North Korea.
According to the airport company, it began revamping the pavement on taxiways after the Lunar New Year holiday last month.
The company said it closed about a 700m-long section for long-term repair last month, adding that it closed the taxiway in the north earlier this month.
The company said it would divide the taxiways into different sections and work on each section at a time to replace the remaining pavement.
The company said it had set short-term, mid-term and long-term solutions to address the mudflow problem following multiple meetings with consulting and construction companies, as well as with the Civil Aeronautics Administration.
As a short-term solution, the company’s construction crew and maintenance contractor would inspect taxiway pavement continuously.
Should there be an abnormality in the pavement that might threaten aviation safety, the company would close the section, it said.
The company also said that it would import cleaning equipment to recycle muddy water on the pavement.
For mid-term to long-term solutions, the taxiways would be divided into sections, the company said, adding that during the construction of each section, three to five aircraft ramps would be closed to improve pavement drainage.
The company said that it would make sure that the construction would not disrupt the operation of flights, adding that it would negotiate with airlines to avoid having too many flights take off or descend during construction peak times and to find the best route to detour aircraft along the taxiway during the construction.
Ten more Type-E aircraft ramps are to be built on the northeastern side of the airport, and four Type-C ramps and one Type-E ramp are to be constructed on the property of the former Grand Hotel aviation catering service, the company said.
The company said the pavement would be made using asphalt concrete, which would make it easier to maintain, adding that aircraft would be able to operate more smoothly on the taxiway as well.
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