Taiwan airport mulls closing terminal as passenger volume hits record low

台灣機場考慮關閉航廈，旅客量創歷史新低

Passenger volume at Taoyuan Int'l Airport down from 130,000 to less than 1,000 per day


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — With the number of passengers at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport recently hitting a record low — fewer than 1,000 people in a single day — the airport is reportedly contemplating shutting down a terminal or runway, a decision that is said to be made soon.

Taiwan's Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) and the Taoyuan International Airport Corp. (TIAC) are said to have recently held talks in response to a call from legislators to shut down one of the country's international airports amid COVID-19 fears and a dramatic drop in air passenger volume. A top executive told UDN that shutting down one terminal is inevitable but that a thorough plan should be in place beforehand.

"The airport used to receive up to 130,000 passengers a day, but recent daily passenger volume has dropped to less than 1,000. . . Shutting down a terminal is one of the options. Around 250 flights per week are expected to be affected by closing Terminal 1, and around 400 flights for Terminal 2," TIAC CEO Lin Hsiang-sheng (林祥生) said.

As COVID-19 continues to spread and travel restrictions become the norm around the world, the daily number of air passengers seen at Taiwan's primary airport has nosedived to the lowest since it began commercial operations 41 years ago, according to the report.

Meanwhile, the airport has announced plans for a major overhaul, including a north runway improvement project, to revamp its facilities and enhance passengers' experience.