Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport's (TTIA) service quality has repeatedly garnered international acclaim and is a pride to the nation, Premier Mao Chi-kuo said at today's Cabinet meeting after a briefing on the progress of service and facility enhancement at the airport.
TTIA passengers are still on the rise, so terminal renovation, runway extension and the Terminal 3 project all pose immense challenges. The premier expects these engineering works to be completed speedily and even ahead of schedule so that the Taoyuan Aerotropolis can truly be transformed into a smart metropolis. He also expects the central and local governments to work hand in hand to accomplish this vision so citizens can be proud of the Taoyuan Aerotropolis as well as the TTIA.
When the TTIA was launched in 1979, officials from Singapore's Changi Airport came to learn from Taiwan's experience, Mao noted. Thirty years after, the TTIA decided to renovate Terminal 1 rather than rebuild it. Renovation cost the government a little more than NT$2.9 billion (US$93.6 million), while rebuilding would have required more than NT$100 billion (US$3.2 billion). This choice saved a great deal of public funding and is also worthy of pride, the premier said.
As its passengers are still increasing, the TTIA is facing systemic change in many areas, Mao pointed out. For example, security inspectors need the assistance of private security personnel, which requires amending related laws. Tax rebates for travelers must be modernized and linked with international practice. As for the airport mass rapid transit system, the premier expects full collaboration between the Taoyuan City Government and central government so as to meet the schedule for the line's operation by the end of this year.
The premier further pointed out that prior to 2007, passengers at TTIA had never exceeded 20 million a year, but since then passenger volume has skyrocketed because of the government's policy of openness. Terminal 1 was renovated rather than rebuilt in order to keep it in operation. When the refurbished Terminal 1 was launched, Mao, who was then transportation minister, encouraged the airport staff to raise Airport Service Quality (ASQ) in the shortest possible time. The Airports Council International (ACI), which assigns ASQ ratings, has since attested to the TTIA's achievements.
TTIA has garnered much international recognition in recent years, the MOTC said. In the ACI ASQ Awards for 2014, TTIA was ranked second in the world among airports with annual passenger capacity of 25 million to 40 million in 2014 (airports in 22 countries were surveyed). It has also been honored as one of the world's 10 best airports in which to spend time. In 2015, the international airport reviewer Skytrax awarded TTIA for having the best airport staff service in both Asia and the world. Skytrax also named it No. 2 in airport immigration.
After the renovated Terminal 1 was launched, TTIA received a top 10 overall ranking from the ACI. Now the airport is winning first-place rankings in many categories, noted Mao, who attributed this success to teamwork. There are 232 public and private institutions and more than 30,000 staff providing service at the airport. Mao praised the staff, saying they have restored TTIA's pride, and encouraged them to keep up the good work.
In order to continue raising the quality of service at Terminal 1, improvements will be made to facilities like the parking lot and bus stop, and more check-in and passenger service counters will be established. Annual passenger capacity is expected to rise from 12 million to 15 million. Total renovation cost will be about NT$2.97 billion (US$97.4 million).
Terminal 2 will add 20,778 more square meters of floor space, and annual passenger capacity is expected to rise by 5 million. The terminal's security checkpoint hall will be enlarged, and five new security check lines will be added. Additionally, eight E-Gates for automatic immigration checks have been added, bringing the total number to 21 and raising the E-Gate usage rate to 42 percent. Baggage service capacity has been raised to 1,440 pieces of luggage per hour.
The Executive Yuan approved the plan for Terminal 3 on March 6, 2015. The facility is to be completed by the end of 2020.