The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) is to improve two airports on Matsu to meet its transportation needs, enhance aviation safety and boost tourism.
Due to the prevalence of strong winds and fog in the region, flights to the small airports — Beigan Airport on Beigan (北竿) and Nangan Airport on Nangan (南竿) — are often disrupted by poor weather and visibility, according to a proposal from the agency.
The CAA plans to allocate NT$300 million (US$10.4 million) over three years and NT$1.8 billion over 10 years to upgrade the airports, starting in 2022, it said.
According to the proposal, the CAA would at Nangan Airport install an engineered material arrestor system (EMAS), a passive safety system designed to quickly decelerate aircraft and bring them to a safe stop in case of an overrun.
At Beigan Airport, the CAA is planning to install an instrument landing system, an electronic navigation scheme that uses radio waves to help guide aircraft to approach and land, it said.
With the system, the minimum visibility requirement for landing at Beigan could be decreased from 2.4km to 1.4km, largely reducing the percentage of flights disrupted by fog or other weather conditions, it said.
Beigan’s runway would also be lengthened from 1.15km to 1.5km, it added.
Adding the proposed improvements would increase aircraft capacity from 56 passengers per flight to 70 at Beigan Airport, according to the plan.
Nangan Airport Director Weng Ting-huang (翁丁煌) said that the EMAS is expected to enhance the safety of aircraft during landings at the airport, which are often affected by strong side winds.
Meanwhile, the instrument landing system would allow nighttime takeoffs from Beigan Airport, which is normally only suitable for daytime takeoffs and landings, he said.
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