The government should only allow China Airlines and other members of the SkyTeam alliance to use Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 when it is completed in 2025, the China Airlines Employees Union said yesterday.
The union issued a statement after Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) acting chairman Lin Kuo-hsien (林國顯) on Monday said that all three Taiwanese international carriers — China Airlines, EVA Airways and Starlux Airlines — would be given priority to use the terminal, as well as carriers who offer flights from North America to Southeast Asian countries via Taiwan.
However, the union said this was different from the plan laid out by the airport operator in 2018.
Photo: CNA
Based on the original plan, the terminal would be exclusively used by SkyTeam alliance airlines, of which China Airlines is a member. EVA Airways and other Star Alliance airlines would use Terminal 2, while Oneworld Alliance carriers and budget airlines would use Terminal 1.
Starlux has yet to join any aviation alliance.
“The construction of the new terminal is estimated to cost NT$130 billion [US$4.05 billion], and people have high expectations for it. However, the terminal could become a laughingstock because of unprofessional arrangements by the TIAC,” the union said.
The airport operator’s 2018 plan would not only make it easier for transit passengers to board connecting flights, but it would also help the company save on operating costs, the union said, adding that it is also in sync with airports around the world.
“If the airport company allocates use of the three terminals by flight routes, airlines would need to have ground crew stationed in all three terminals,” the union said. “It would inconvenience transit passengers as they would have to change terminals to catch connecting flights. The transfer of luggage between different terminals could be a hassle too.”
US passengers to the Southeast Asian nations via Taiwan could miss their connecting flights if they only have a short time to locate the correct terminal and boarding gate, the union said.
“Suppose an aircraft is used to fly one group of passengers to Hong Kong in the morning and fly another group of passengers to Los Angeles in the afternoon. If the aircraft is parked at the terminal that accommodates US flights, those returning to Taiwan from Hong Kong must then pick up their baggage at the terminal that accommodates Hong Kong flights,” the union said.
If the aircraft is parked at the terminal for Hong Kong flights, then those boarding connecting flights to the US must go to the terminal for Hong Kong flights after checking their luggage in at the terminal for US flights, it said.
If a passenger is late in checking in their luggage and misses their flight, the airline would have to remove the checked luggage from the plane, which would delay the flight’s departure, the union said.
“In the past 17 years, we have been complying with the government’s policy of having ground crew stationed at the first and second terminals. Our reputation has been hurt because passengers are constantly confused as to which terminal they should go to to board flights, and our ground crew are suffering from running between the two terminals,” it said.
“It is disappointing that the airport company keeps ignoring the needs of passengers and the workload of the ground crew,” the union said.
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