Cargo volume at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport from January to October rose 23.3 percent annually to reach 2.32 million tonnes thanks to booming exports of electronic products and increased consumption in the holiday season, Taiwan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday.
The airport ranked No. 2 in the Asia-Pacific region in terms of cargo growth over the period, TIAC Property Development Department director Tom Chen (陳慶隆) said.
The facility is expected to process a total of 2.8 million tonnes of cargo this year, which would be an increase of 20 percent compared with last year.
Photo: CNA
The airport’s cargo volume has registered double-digit percentage growth since July last year, Chen said.
However, growth has plateaued since October, with the airport processing about 240,000 tonnes of cargo per month, he added.
“Christmas and Lunar New Year holidays are traditionally peak shopping times. Moreover, surging exports of electronic products also boosted the amount of air cargo handled at the airport. We expect that imports and exports of air cargo will continue to grow until the first quarter of next year,” Chen said.
Some businesses have begun to transport heavier or bulkier goods, such as bathtubs, spinning bikes and tiles, via air freight, he said.
“Many businesses have switched to air transport as the global supply chain has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Congestion at seaports around the world and a container shortage have also led to high demand for air cargo services,” Chen said.
“Even though transport fees could be higher than prices of the goods delivered, businesses would prefer to fulfill terms of their contracts and deliver goods via air transport, even though this means they would sustain financial losses,” he said.
Prior to the pandemic, air freight fees were about 12 times those of sea freight, he said, adding that it is now about three times higher.
The company would monitor demand for air cargo services and determine whether the airport has the capacity to meet demand.
“To expedite cargo handling at the airport, we will expand the space to load and unload cargo, and coordinate with logistics service operators to optimize the tally operation,” he said.
The Aviation Police Bureau would help guide the logistics vehicles entering and leaving the airport to ensure smooth customs clearance and timely delivery of goods, he added.
The airport has sufficient stands for passenger and cargo planes, he said, adding that it would flexibly arrange the use of aircraft stands if air cargo volumes continue to rise.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
RSS