The airport opened for commercial operations in 1979 asChiang Kai-shek International Airport (中正國際機場) and was renamed in 2006.[5] It is an important regional transshipment center, passenger hub, and gateway for destinations in Asia, and is one of two international airports that serveTaipei. The other,Taipei Songshan Airport, is located within the city limits and served as Taipei's only international airport until 1979.[6] Songshan now mainly serveschartered flights, intra-island flights, and limited international flights.
By the 1970s, the original airport in Taipei City —Taipei Songshan Airport — had become overcrowded and could not be expanded due to space limitations. Thus, a new airport was planned to alleviate congestion.[6] The new airport opened (withTerminal 1) on 26 February 1979,[5] as part of theTen Major Construction Projects pursued by the government in the 1970s. The airport was originally planned under the name Taoyuan International Airport but was later changed to Chiang Kai-shek International Airport in memory of formerPresidentChiang Kai-shek.[9]
The airport is the main hub ofChina Airlines, the Republic of China (Taiwan)'sflag carrier, as well asEVA Air, a private airline established in 1989. Overcrowding of the airport in recent years prompted the construction of Terminal 2, which was opened on 29 July 2000,[5] with half of its gates operational; EVA Air was the first airline to move into Terminal 2. The remaining gates opened on 21 January 2005 for China Airlines, making China Airlines the only airline to operate from both terminals.[10]
The airport has announced construction plans for a third terminal. In October 2015, the design of British firmRogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, founded byPritzker Architecture Prize-laureateRichard Rogers, was chosen for the 640,000-square-metre (6,900,000 sq ft) Terminal 3. Over US$2.3 billion was to be spent on the project, among the most costly construction projects in modern Taiwanese history. The terminal is expected to be opened in 2026 and accommodate 45 million passengers per year, boosting the yearly capacity of the airport to 86 million passengers.[11][12]
Formerly known as Chiang Kai-shek International Airport, it was renamed on 6 September 2006 to its current name.[5]The airport, originally planned as Taoyuan International Airport, bore the name of latePresidentChiang Kai-shek until 2006.[5] InChinese, its former name was literally "Chung-Cheng (Zhongzheng) International Airport", whereChung-Cheng is the legal given name that Chiang Kai-shek had used since the 1910s.[13] In Taiwan, Chiang Kai-shek is associated with theChinese Nationalist Party orKuomintang and its many years of one-partyauthoritarian rule.[9] Local officials inTaoyuan City and members of thePan-Green Coalition often referred to the hub by the name originally associated with it: "Taoyuan International Airport".[14] News organizations and local residents sometimes combined the two commonly used names as "Taoyuan Chung-Cheng Airport".[14][15]
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport currently has two terminals, which are connected by two short people movers.[21] The third terminal is under construction, while the fourth terminal is planned, however plans may be halted. TheTaoyuan Airport MRT links the terminals together underground, and provides transportation to Taipei City.[22][23]
Aerial view of Terminal 1Renovated Terminal 1 arrival hall
Terminal 1 is the original passenger terminal of the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. The building was designed by Chinese-born, Taiwanese-American structural engineerTung-Yen Lin and influenced by Eero Saarinen'sDulles International Airport Main Terminal.[24][25] The five-storey, 169,500 m2 (1,824,000 sq ft) terminal, along with the airport, opened in 1979 to relieve the overcrowdedTaipei Songshan Airport.[26] All international flights were moved to the airport following the completion of this terminal. Terminal 1 featured 22 gates. A row of 11 gates are located on the north end of the airfield facing the north runway and another row of 11 gates are located on the south end airfield facing the south runway. The two concourses that contained the airplane gates are linked together by a main building that contained thecheck-in areas, baggage claim, passport immigration areas, and security checkpoint areas. Together, they form a giant "H". All gates are equipped withjetways. Gates located at the end of the concourses have one jetway and also reducing people and gates not located at the end of the concourses have two jetways. The terminal was originally white in color when it first opened. As the years gradually passed, the façade and color became more tan and yellow colored due to age, while also helped by the air pollution in Taipei.[citation needed]
After the completion of Terminal 2, some gates from Terminal 1 were removed to make space for Terminal 2. Currently, Terminal 1 has 18gates.[27] Alphabetical letters were introduced when Terminal 2 was completed. The North Concourse is now Concourse A, and the South Concourse is now Concourse B. Before Terminal 2, gates were numbered from 1 to 22.China Airlines uses Concourse A for the majority of its flights in Terminal 1, while the third largest carrier of the airport,Cathay Pacific, operates most of its flights at Concourse B.
In 2012, the renovation project of the terminal, designed by Japanese architect Norihiko Dan,[28] was completed, doubling the floor area, expanding check-in counters, increasing shopping areas and expanding car-parking facilities. Part of the project was the complete redesigning of both the exterior and interior of the terminal. The capacity of Terminal 1 is 15 million passengers per year.[citation needed] This renovation received the 2014 Taiwan Architecture Award from the Taiwan Architects Association.[29]
Terminal 2 opened in 2000 to reduce heavy congestion in the aging Terminal 1.[30] Only the South Concourse had been completed by the time the terminal opened. The South Concourse alone has 10 gates, each with 2 jetways and their own security checkpoints. The North Concourse opened later in 2005, bringing the total number of gates for Terminal 2 to 20 gates; the security checkpoints were moved to a central location in front of the passport control. The 318,000-m2 facility is capable of handling 17 million passengers per year.[30]
The Southern and Northern Concourses are also known as Concourse C and Concourse D, respectively. Terminals 1 and 2 are connected by two shortpeople mover lines, with one from Concourse A to D and the other from B to C.China Airlines uses Concourse D for the majority of its flights in Terminal 2 whileEVA Air uses Concourse C for most of its operations. Terminal 2 renovation was completed in 2020.
Construction of Terminal 3 is part of the expansion project of Taoyuan International Airport. The 540,000 square meter Terminal 3 is designed byRogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and will accommodate 45 million passengers per year.[11] The new terminal was originally planned to be opened in 2020. However, the project has been delayed, which postpones its targeted completion to 2026.[12] South Korea'sSamsung C&T owns 70% of the construction project, or $1.1 billion, while the remainder is held by Taiwan'sRSEA Engineering.[31]
Originally part of the expansion project was a new Terminal 4. However, due to the vast amount of construction, theMinistry of Transportation ordered the airport company to halt the project in order to minimize traveller inconvenience.[32]
The airport has two parallel runways, with one 3660 meters in length and another 3800 meters in length and both 60 meters wide, enabling them to cater to the next generation of aircraft. Both runways have been given aCategory II Precision Approach, which allows pilots to land in only 350-metre visibility. The two runways have an ultimate capacity of over 60 aircraft movements an hour.
There are 41 frontal stands at the main passenger concourse, 15 remote stands and 25 cargo stands. In 2015, the airport was the 11th busiest airport worldwide in terms of international passenger numbers, and sixth busiest in terms of international freight traffic.[8]
The operation of scheduled air services to and from Taoyuan is facilitated by air services agreements between Taiwan and other countries. Since the opening of RCTP, theTaiwan Government has implemented a policy of progressive liberalisation of air services with the intention of promoting consumer choice and competition. Manylow-cost airlines have started various regional routes to compete head-on with full-service carriers on trunk routes.
The airport's long term expansion opportunities are subject to variables. A NTD 300 billion proposal to build a third runway and a third terminal has been under feasibility study and consultation.
Huan Yu VIP Terminal, also known as the Taoyuan Business Aviation Centre (TYBAC), began service in September 2011 and was officially opened in mid-October 2011.[129] The three-story facility has its own terminal and facilities separate from the public terminals. It provides a multimedia conference room, passenger lounge, private rooms and showers, spa, sauna, gym, and business centre facilities.[129] Other services provided include ground handling, baggage handling, fuelling, security, customs and flight planning. Passengers planning to utilize TYBAC must sign up (to the Taiwanese immigration service) 3 days before use and pay a one-time service charge.
Statistics showed that 376 private jets landed and departed the airport through a six-month timeframe in 2011; this is a 100 percent increase from the same timeframe in 2010.
Passengers who are citizens of the R.O.C (Taiwan) with validpassports or non-citizens who haveROC (Taiwan) Resident Certificate (ARC/APRC) can register with facial features and fingerprints for the E-Gate. After registration, the passengers can choose either E-Gate or manual immigration clearance when entering or leaving the country.[130]
The handling and transportation of mail, passenger baggage, cargo, and the operation of aerobridges and passenger stairways in Taoyuan Airport is provided byTaoyuan International Airport Services Limited (TIAS) and Evergreen Airline Services (EGAS).
TTIA currently handles over 1.5 million tonnes of cargo annually. There are two air cargo terminals in the airport: one operated byTaiwan Air Cargo Terminals Limited and the other operated by Evergreen Air Cargo Services.
China Airlines Engineering and Maintenance Organization (CALEMO) and Evergreen Aviation Technologies (EGAT) both offers maintenance services at the airport. With its huge base, CALEMO has a market share of over 75%[citation needed] and can offer maintenance service of five wide-body airliners and one narrow-body airliner simultaneously.[131] In March 2014, EGAT partnered with GE Aviation to form GE Evergreen which handles maintenance operations such as engine overhaul and is capable of aircraft conversion programs, such as theDreamlifter program.[132]
In 2022, aerospace companyNordam opened a major components repair facility at Taoyuan, which will serve as their regional hub replacing operations in Singapore.[133]
Express train: 38-minute link between the airport and downtown Taipei. Stops at both airport terminals,Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, New Taipei Industrial Park, and Taipei Main Station.
Commuter train: 45-minute link between the airport and downtown Taipei. Stops at all 21 stations on the line.
Taxi queues are outside the arrival halls of both terminals and are available 24 hours a day. They are metered and subject to a 15-percent surcharge.[145]
China Airlines has its headquarters,CAL Park,[147] on the grounds of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. CAL Park, located at the airport entrance forms a straight line with Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and the future Terminal 3.[148]
Located adjacent to the convention center is theHyatt Regency Taoyuan International Airport. The 360-room hotel is equipped with restaurants, recreation and fitness centers, and a hair salon and spa.
TheChung Cheng Aviation Museum was located in the south-eastern area of the airport between the main freeway entrance and the terminals. It was built in 1981 byBoeing underCAA contract.[149] Many retiredRepublic of China Air Force fighters are represented here. Its purpose is to preserve aviation history and provide public understanding of the civil aviation industry.[150] It is now currently closed due to the expansion and construction of the new Terminal 3.
Taoyuan International Airport is undergoing major facility-upgrading and expansion plans. While the South runway (05R/23L) just completed its renovation in January 2015, construction started at the North runway (05L/23R) in March 2015. The runway renovations involve upgrading the runway to Category III and improving the surface conditions.[152] On the other hand, two Terminal 2 gates, C2 and D6, had additional jet bridges installed to accommodate the A380 aircraft. After the runway and jetbridge upgrades, the airport will be able to allow regular A380 operations, with likely carriers beingEmirates,China Southern Airlines andSingapore Airlines.[153]
Plans are also underway for the construction of Terminal 3, satellite terminal, and the third runway. Terminal 3 is designed byRogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and is expected to have an annual capacity of 45 million passengers.[11] Specific plans for the satellite terminal have not been announced. The third runway is expected to be completed by 2030.[154]
The master plan of the airport is theTaoyuan Aerotropolis project, an urban plan aimed at creating an industrial area surrounding Taoyuan Airport. The aerotropolis will take advantage of the competitive local infrastructure to attract developments and help stimulate economic growth. The total area, including the "yolk" airport area and the "white" area, will exceed 6845 hectares. The Terminal 3 and third runway plans are all part of the "yolk" area projects, with the projected expected to be completed by 2023.[155] However, the project has been delayed due to land resumption controversies.[156]
In October 2015, it was announced thatRSHP won the bid to design the 640,000 square meter terminal. Structures will include a processor (main terminal building), two concourses, and a multi-functional building to connect the terminal with Terminal 2. The processor will have a wave-like roof structure from which lights will be hung. The lights will move up and down to reflect the flow of passengers. Terminal 3 was initially expected to be completed in 2020 and will be able to handle up to 50 million passengers per year, thus increasing the overall yearly capacity of the airport to over 90 million passengers.[11] It is now scheduled to be complete by 2026.[157] The construction project involves South Korean companySamsung C&T and Taiwan'sRSEA.[31]
10 August 1993: Air China Flight 973, aBoeing 767, was hijacked after takeoff from Beijing en route to Jakarta. A 30-year-old Chinese man passed a handwritten note to a flight attendant demanding to be flown toTaiwan. He threatened that his "accomplice" would destroy the aircraft unless he was flown to Taiwan. He was carrying a shampoo bottle containing a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acids, and he threatened to disfigure nearby passengers with the acid if his demands were ignored. The aircraft was flown to Taoyuan International Airport, where the hijacker surrendered.[158]
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport was one of many airports targeted by the failedProject Bojinka plot in 1995.
31 October 2000:Singapore Airlines Flight 006, aBoeing 747-400 (registered 9V-SPK), crashed into construction equipment, after attempting to take off on the wrong runway, killing 83 of the 179 occupants aboard.[160]
^"이스타항공, 내달 20일 인천∼대만 타오위안 노선 운항 재개" [Eastar Jet, re-launching Incheon~Taiwan's Taoyuan route from 20th in next month] (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. 5 October 2023.
^"Taxi". Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. Archived fromthe original on 8 April 2011. Retrieved16 March 2011.
^"Car Rentals". Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. Archived fromthe original on 4 December 2010. Retrieved8 June 2010.
^「華航園區新建工程」1月31日隆重舉行開工動土典禮2009年底完工 將成為台灣桃園國際機場地標 [The groundbreaking ceremony for the new construction project for China Airlines Park was held on January 31. The project will be completed by the end of 2009 and will become a landmark of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.]. Archived fromthe original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved22 December 2016.「華航園區」預定2009年底前完工營運." China Airlines. Retrieved on 24 April 2010.
^"才剛要起飛...俄羅斯男竟攀上華航班機起落架" [Just about to take off... a Russian man climbed onto the landing gear of a China Airlines flight].ftvnews.com.tw (in Chinese).FTV News. 2 November 2019. Retrieved27 November 2023.
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