Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is set to become a major transportation hub for East Asia through an NT$300 billion (US$10.3 billion) project to expand the Taoyuan Aerotropolis, the Civil Aeronautics Administration said April 19.
“The Taoyuan airport has a pivotal role in helping Taiwan more closely align itself with the rest of the world in the next decade. It is imperative to boost the capacity of the national gateway to meet this critical challenge,” CAA officials said.
According to the agency, the plan will see the airport’s passenger and cargo traffic double to 58.9 million passengers and 4.48 million tons, with the total number of takeoffs and landings tripling to 467,000 by 2030.
“These expanded operations will be achieved through the addition of a third runway and a third terminal, increased passenger and cargo handling capacities and more aircraft maintenance facilities,” officials pointed out.
To meet these demands, the area of the aerotropolis will be expanded from 1,249 hectares to 1,994 hectares.
The CAA expects the construction work to commence in 2014 and be completed in four and a half years.
One of ROC President Ma Ying-jeou’s 12 major infrastructure projects, the Taoyuan Aerotropolis will upgrade the Taoyuan airport into an aviation city as part of the government’s efforts to transform Taiwan into a logistics and operation center in the Asia-Pacific region. (THN)
Write to Meg Chang at meg.chang@mail.gio.gov.tw