Costing more than NT$30 billion, the third terminal of Singapore's Changi Airport has opened, and in order to compete, the Cabinet and the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) will invest five years and NT$2 billion (US$60 million) to revamp the Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TTIA).
In the last 10 years, new airports in Asia including Incheon in Korea, the new Hong Kong International, and the New Bangkok International have attracted the attention of the international aeronautics industry.
New airports provide more comprehensive transport facilities for passengers and goods, increased capacity and an increased competitive edge for the host country.
PHOTO: YAO CHIEH-HSIU, TAIPEI TIMES
Last month, the Cabinet approved plans for renovating important transport gateways in Taiwan, and Terminal I of TTIA received a budget of NT$1.4 billion.
The existing building will be flanked on the east and west sides by new wings and will increase in area by about 13,000m2. The volume of travelers will increase from 12 million to 15 million annually and the new wings will be partially naturally lit, with nighttime light sculptures as a decorative addition.
Another NT$6 million will be spent on enlarging the main lobby, replacing the passport check counters, adjusting passenger traffic flow, improving earthquake proofing, renewing electrical wiring, upgrading airconditioning and sanitation facilities, expanding separate lanes for buses, building a bus stop and connecting the airport to the MRT.
Norihiko Dan and Associates, a Japan based architectural firm, submitted the winning entry for the renovations in a contest held by the Tourism Bureau in 2004.
Fan Hsiao-lun (范孝倫), a team leader of the CAA's Aerodrome Engineering division, said that Terminal I at TTIA will undergo renovations while remaining operational, making the process complicated. The renovations are likely to take place at night during off-peak hours, he said.
A Ministry of Transportation and Communications official said that compared to other neighboring countries, Taiwan has under-invested in its airport.
Asides from investment in hardware, there needs to be an advantageous operations environment, the official said. TTIA's volume is supported by China Airlines and EVA Airways, and ranks sixth in Asia. However, with China's expansion, Taiwan is increasingly threatened. Passenger traffic also requires more tourism, the official said.
As for criticism against the airport, manager Lee Tsang-huang (李燦煌) said that TTIA is taking part for the first time in evaluations by Airport Council International (ACI), and results will be released next February or March.
"I am confident of Taipei Taoyuan International Airport's potential," he said.
In international aeronautics, there are two evaluation bodies: ACI and Skytrax.
Last year, the media erroneously reported that TTIA came 85th in Skytrax evaluations, however TTIA did not enter the competition.
Lee said that TTIA had continually upgraded its hardware, including a new flight time display board for travelers. He said he does not believe that TTIA will perform poorly in ACI's international competition.
The CAA said that comparing TTIA to other airports is unfair, as TTIA is 30 years old. Furthermore, TTIA has the same basic design as Washington's Dulles International Airport and was one of the largest airports in Southeast Asia at the time, attracting visitors from other countries.
Commenting on leaks at TTIA recently, CAA officials said they were caused by construction by the Bureau of High Speed Rail and by typhoons which broke window panes.
Lee said that Taiwan has the unique challenge of typhoons and earthquakes, which occasionally cause leaks in windows.
"We've been doing our best to improve [the situation]," he said, reiterating that compared to airports constructed around the same time, such as Los Angeles, Paris, Dulles and Rome, TTIA is no worse off.
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