The Ministry of Transportation and Communications yesterday announced a nearly NT$1.2 billion (US$39.76 million) budget to renovate airport terminals on four small outlying islands: Green Island (綠島), Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼), Cimei (七美) and the Wangan Islands (望安) in Penghu County.
The ministry held a groundbreaking ceremony on Green Island to celebrate the launch of renovation projects for the Green Island and Orchid Island terminals in Taitung County.
Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Kuo-hsien (林國顯) said at the event that the government should continue to invest in outlying islands, even though they do not have many residents.
Photo: Tsai Yun-jung, Taipei Times
The government allocates about NT$980 million annually to subsidize airfares for island residents, while Daily Air Corp receives about NT$500 million each year to offset operational losses from servicing the four small islands.
Despite spending nearly NT$1.5 billion in flight ticket subsidies, the government has spent only a few million on the maintenance, construction and management of airport facilitieson the islands, Lin said.
“We should strive to make airports on outlying islands landmarks and tourist destinations. For residents, the airport could become icons that represent their home,” he said.
Civil Aeronautics Administration Director-General Ho Shu-ping (何淑萍) said the renovation projects would upgrade airport infrastructure, refine the surrounding landscapes and incorporate elements of local cultures into the designs.
“We hope that the projects would greatly enhance the service quality of the airports and improve the travel experience for residents and visitors,” Ho said.
The bidding process for the Green Island and Orchid Island renovation projects was successfully completed in July last year, with the total cost for both estimated at NT$452 million.
The Green Island project is budgeted at NT$223 million, while the Orchid Island project is estimated at NT$229 million.
Both projects are scheduled for completion by 2027. The renovation projects would be jointly designed by Taiwanese architect Hsu Tsung-hsi (許宗熙) and Japanese architect Dan Norihiko.
Hsu and Norihiko previously led the renovation of Terminal 1 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, which was completed in 2013.
In a prerecorded video message, Norihiko said that a C-shaped corridor would be constructed to connect buildings of the Green Island Airport, while the interior of the terminal would be redesigned using imagery inspired by the Kuroshio Current, he added.
For the Orchid Island terminal, the redesign would incorporate cultural elements from the Tao people, the island’s largest indigenous group, Norihiko said.
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