Those interested in watching aircraft take off can now do so free of charge from the observation deck at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport), which will be opened to the public today.
The observation deck was part of the Civil Aeronautics Administration’s plan to renovate the airport after international flights resumed at the facility three years ago.
According to the administration, the observation deck has an area of about 1,801m2. It is about 100m away from the runway and can accommodate 500 to 600 people at a time.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
The administration said visitors could sit on chairs designed by -Brisbane-based Alexander Lotersztain and drink coffee while watching the aircraft arrive and depart, adding that they could see the Grand Hotel, Miramar Entertainment Park and Taipei 101 from the observation deck as well.
Previously, aviation enthusiasts would view aircraft from Alley 180 on Binjiang Street in Taipei, which is near the end of the airport’s runway.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) said at the inauguration ceremony yesterday that he hoped the observation deck would become a new meeting place in Taipei.
Mao said the deck was a perfect place for couples to spend a romantic evening together and the Taipei Aviation Office might open a forum on its Web site allowing couples to post their love stories.
Mao said the completion of the observation only put a “comma” on the airport’s renovation, which is scheduled for completion by the end of this year.
“[Former Taipei EasyCard Corp chairman] Sean Lien (連勝文) said Songshan airport was inferior to Pyongyang airport,” he said. “I’ve never been to North Korea, but I knew it was not a nice comment. I could only accept it at that time and tried to address it quickly.”
That said, Mao added that Taipei airport now has the potential to be one of the world’s best airports.
The observation deck was scheduled to open in July, but the administration postponed the opening until this month because it was waiting for specially designed chairs to arrive from Spain.
Starting today, the deck will be open to the public daily from 9am to 9pm.
Visitors can enter the observation deck through Terminal 2.
Visitors may not fly kites, operate remote-controlled planes or engage in any activity that might compromise aviation safety. Violators could be fined between NT$30,000 and NT$1.5 million (US$997 and US$49,841), the administration said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or