Cargo volume at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is expected to reach 2.89 million tonnes this year as seaport congestion and shipping container shortages show little sign of easing, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said yesterday.
The airport’s cargo volume last year reached a record 2.81 million tonnes, an increase of 20 percent from 2020, due to booming exports of chips and electronic products, TIAC Property Development Department director Tom Chen (陳慶隆) said, adding that air cargo had already been growing for two consecutive years.
As demand for air cargo services is likely to continue this year, the airport operator is arranging to use the cargo plane tarmac in a more flexible manner, Chen said.
Photo courtesy of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport
“Taiwanese airlines are to add new cargo planes to their fleets this year. As such, we estimate that the cargo volume could reach 2.89 million tonnes this year, which would help maintain our top four ranking in Asia in terms of international freight volume,” he said.
The International Air Transport Association estimated that global air cargo volume would grow 4.9 percent this year, the company said.
Chen said the company has been working with cargo service operators to expand cold-chain and other related infrastructure near the airport.
Taiwan Air Cargo Terminal Co’s cargo handling capacity rose 15 percent after adding 1,600m2 to its warehouse last year, while the operator of the Farglory Free Trade Port Zone is building a cold-chain warehouse, which is to be completed in the second quarter of next year.
The airport company also plans to build a new freight park by 2030, when it is scheduled to launch a third runway, Chen said, adding that these facilities should help boost the airport’s freight handling capacity to 4.02 million tonnes in 2040.
Passenger volume could also gradually recover this year, Chen said.
“If travel restrictions are gradually lifted after the Lantern Festival or the quarantine period is reduced to under 14 days, the number of air passengers could reach 10 million this year, which is about 20 percent of the passenger volume in 2019,” he said.
However, if borders remain virtually closed, the passenger volume this year might only reach 1.5 million, which is 3 percent of the volume in 2019, he added.
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