An IATA airport code, also known as an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The characters prominently displayed on baggage tags attached at airport check-in desks are an example of a way these codes are used.
The ICAOairport code or location indicator is a four-letter code designating aerodromes around the world. These codes, as defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization and published in ICAO Document 7910: Location Indicators, are used by air traffic control and airline operations such as flight planning.
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports often have facilities to store and maintain aircraft, and a control tower. An airport consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface such as a runway for a plane to take off or a helipad, and often includes adjacent utility buildings such as control towers, hangars and terminals. Larger airports may have airport aprons, taxiway bridges, air traffic control centres, passenger facilities such as restaurants and lounges, and emergency services. In some countries, the US in particular, they also typically have one or more fixed-base operators, serving general aviation.
The civilian section of Songshan Airport, officially Taipei International Airport[citation needed] (臺北國際航空站; Táiběi Gúojì Hángkōngzhàn), has scheduled flights to domestic destinations in Taiwan and international destinations including Seoul, Tokyo, and select cities in mainland China. Songshan serves only a small portion of the international flights for Taipei using the larger Taoyuan International Airport. Songshan Airport is also the base of certain Republic of China Air Force units as part of the Songshan Air Force Base (空軍松山基地; Kōngjūn Sōngshān Jīdì). The Songshan Base Command's main mission is to serve the President and Vice President of the Republic of China.
Seoul, officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. With surrounding Incheon metropolis and Gyeonggi province, Seoul forms the heart of the Seoul Capital Area.
Tokyo, officially Tokyo Metropolis, one of the 47 prefectures of Japan, has served as the Japanese capital since 1869. As of 2018, the Greater Tokyo Area ranked as the most populous metropolitan area in the world. The urban area houses the seat of the Emperor of Japan, of the Japanese government and of the National Diet. Tokyo forms part of the Kantō region on the southeastern side of Japan's main island, Honshu, and includes the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands. Tokyo was formerly named Edo when Shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu made the city his headquarters in 1603. It became the capital after Emperor Meiji moved his seat to the city from Kyoto in 1868; at that time Edo was renamed Tokyo. Tokyo Metropolis formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo Prefecture and the city of Tokyo. Tokyo is often referred to as a city but is officially known and governed as a "metropolitan prefecture", which differs from and combines elements of a city and a prefecture, a characteristic unique to Tokyo.
Japanese Taiwan was the period of Taiwan and the Penghu Islands under Japanese rule between 1895 and 1945.
Japanese is an East Asian language spoken by about 128 million people, primarily in Japan, where it is the national language. It is a member of the Japonic language family, and its relation to other languages, such as Korean, is debated. Japanese has been grouped with language families such as Ainu, Austroasiatic, and the now-discredited Altaic, but none of these proposals has gained widespread acceptance.
Hepburn romanization is a system for the romanization of Japanese that uses the Latin alphabet to write the Japanese language. It is used by most foreigners learning to spell Japanese in the Latin alphabet and by the Japanese for romanizing personal names, geographical locations, and other information such as train tables, road signs, and official communications with foreign countries. Largely based on English writing conventions, consonants closely correspond to the English pronunciation and vowels approximate the Italian pronunciation.
Shared military and civilian use—both domestic and international—began on 16 April 1950[4] in the reconstructed Civil Aeronautics Administration Taipei Airport (交通部民用航空局台北航空站).[3] Domestic destinations have been Kaohsiung, Hualien, Taichung, Penghu, and Tainan. The first international destinations were Seattle, Tokyo, Pusan, Manila, Bangkok, and Hong Kong.[3] The first international airlines included Northwest Airlines, Pan American Airlines, and Hong Kong Airways (now Cathay Pacific). Later, the airport became too small to handle an increased number of passengers, even after a series of expansions. This later worsened when new wide-body jets became common at the airport.[3] Therefore, all international activities were relocated to Taoyuan International Airport (then known as Chiang Kai-shek International) after its inauguration on 26 February 1979.[3][5] Consequently, the passenger load at the airport dropped from 6.2million in 1978 to 2.9million in 1979 (a 53% decrease).[6] At its peak in 1997, the airport handled over 15.3million passengers annually.
Kaohsiung International Airport, also known as Kaohsiung Siaogang Airport for the Siaogang District where it is located, is a medium-sized commercial airport in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. Kaohsiung International is the second busiest airport in Taiwan in passenger movements, after Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
Hualien Airport is a commercial airport located in an 11.5-hectare (28-acre) civilian area of a military airbase in Xincheng, Hualien County, Taiwan. With flights to Taipei, Kaohsiung and Taichung, it served 235,386 passengers in 2017, making it the tenth-busiest airport in Taiwan.
Taichung International Airport, previously known as Ching Chuan Kang Airport (清泉崗機場) or Qingquangang Airport, is an international airport located in Taichung, Taiwan which is used for both commercial and military purposes. It is also the third international airport in Taiwan, with scheduled services to China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.
Service to Taichung and Chiayi was stopped in mid-2007 after the load factor dropped significantly due to Taiwan High Speed Rail start of revenue service in January 2007. Passenger volume decreased from 6.7million in 2006 to 4.4million in 2007 (a 34% decrease).[6] Also due to the opening of the high speed rail line, on 1 March 2008, Uni Air suspended its service to Kaohsiung, while Far Eastern Air Transport suspended its service to Tainan.[7] TransAsia Airways decided to stop flights to Tainan and Kaohsiung after 1 August 2008.[8][9]
Chiayi Airport, commonly known as Shueishang Airport, is an airport in Chiayi County, Taiwan. The airport has two runways, and it is used as a civilian airport and is co-located next to Chiayi Air Base. Chiayi Airport is envisioned as a gateway to the Alishan National Scenic Area, a popular tourist destination in Taiwan.
Passenger load factor, or load factor, measures the capacity utilization of public transport services like airlines, passenger railways, and intercity bus services. It is generally used to assess how efficiently a transport provider fills seats and generates fare revenue.
Taiwan High Speed Rail is a high-speed rail line that runs approximately 350 km (217 mi), along the west coast of Taiwan, from the capital Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung. With construction and operations managed by a private company, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation, which also operates the line, the total cost of the project was NT$513.3 billion in 1998. At the time it was built, this was one of the world's largest privately funded rail construction schemes. The system is based primarily on Japan's Shinkansen.
In early 1999 when the construction of Taipei 101 had just started, Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration changed this airport's certain SID and STAR procedures to avoid possible collision with the building. The 677-meter Fuxing North Road Underground Passage (復興北路車行地下道) was constructed between 1997 and 2006 under this airport's runway to link the north and south side of this airport.[10]
Taipei 101, sometimes stylized TAIPEI 101, formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center – is a landmark supertall skyscraper in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building was officially classified as the world's tallest from its opening in 2004 until the 2010 completion of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Its elevators, capable of 60.6 km/h (37.7 mph) used to transport passengers from the 5th to 89th floor in 37 seconds, set new records. In 2011 Taipei 101 received a Platinum rating under the LEED certification system to become the tallest and largest green building in the world. The structure regularly appears as an icon of Taipei in international media, and its fireworks displays are a regular feature of New Year's Eve broadcasts.
The Civil Aeronautics Administration is a government agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications of Taiwan responsible for the regulation of all civil aviation activities. CAA operates the passenger terminals in 18 airports, of which 9 airports are owned by CAA, with the rest owned by the Republic of China Air Force.
Regular cross-Strait charter flights to China started on 4 July 2008, with Songshan receiving the majority of flights.[11] Direct flights to China were an issue of contention. Then-mayor Ma Ying-jeou had been pressing to make Songshan Airport Taipei's main International terminal, citing that its location close to the city center would make it preferable for business travelers. However, building height restrictions around the airport raised concerns about flight safety, blocking of radio communications, noise pollution, and a reduced number of flights.[12]
The continuing growth of Taipei City means that Songshan airport is situated in the heart of downtown Taipei. Compared to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Songshan Airport saves travelers about 30 minutes due to its location inside Taipei City's central business district, but the city suffers from the noise, pollution, restrictions on urban planning, and traffic congestion the airport brings about. In the 2002 and 2006 Taipei Mayor ElectionDPP candidates Lee Ying-yuan and Frank Hsieh both proposed the plan to close Songshan Airport, and developed its land into road, huge park, detention basin and sports arena, since the Taiwan High Speed Rail could quickly take up the traffic load between Taipei and western Taiwan cities, and the remaining service to outlying islands and eastern Taiwan could be easily taken over by the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport after the completion of Taoyuan International Airport Access MRT System by the end of 2016. Also, the MRT system will make the international potential of Songshan airport less attractive. The Songshan Airport closing proposal was deferred under the Taipei City Government which has long been dominated by the Pan-Blue Coalition, who prefers the downtown airport connection concept with Shanghai, Seoul, and Tokyo.[citation needed]
Due to the introduction of Taiwan-China flights and future international potential, the airport is undergoing extensive renovations, the first phase of which is expected to be completed by October 2010.[13] The second and third phase renovations are expected to be completed by March and October 2011, respectively. However, as of November 2011 renovations are still in progress. A new international cargo terminal is being built in anticipation of a new air route between Taiwan and Japan.[14] The unused Terminal 2 was refurbished to accommodate arriving flights while the main Terminal, now Terminal 1, was rearranged to handle increased passenger traffic.[11] On 29 March 2011, the renovated Terminal 2 was re-opened to handle domestic flights.[15]
On 6 March 2009, Japan and Taiwan signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the revision of Taiwan–Japan bilateral traffic. Four carriers (EVA Air, China Airlines, Japan Airlines, and ANA) would be able to operate from Songshan Airport to Tokyo–Haneda.[citation needed] In December 2009, an affirmative schedule for the route between Tokyo–Haneda and Taipei–Songshan was announced.[18] Starting in October 2010, EVA Air, China Airlines, Japan Airlines, and ANA each operates two flights a day from Taipei–Songshan to Tokyo–Haneda,[18] with China Airlines and EVA Air both utilizing the A330-300 on the route. Japan Airlines and ANA began this route with the Boeing 767. Both ANA and Japan Airlines have phased in newer 787-8's on the route beginning in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
On 14 June 2010, direct flights between Taipei–Songshan and Shanghai–Hongqiao began.[19] Each week has 28 flights, served by China Eastern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Air China, China Airlines, EVA Air, and TransAsia Airways. The airport will undergo upgrades to its runway and reduce its jet bridges from eight to six to accommodate wider contemporary aircraft such as the Airbus A330 and Boeing 767.[20]
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Countries and cities with direct flights to Taipei Songshan
In 2018, Songshan Airport handled 6,225,932 passengers and 47,132.9 tons of cargo.[1] The route between Taipei Songshan and Kinmen is the busiest domestic route in Taiwan, with 1,267,630 travelers in 2018.[24] In 2018, the ten routes with the largest number of passengers are as follows:
Busiest routes from Taipei–Songshan (2018)[25][26]
On 23 October 1944, a Japanese passenger transport plane crashed into the Taiwan Grand Shrine on Jiantan Mountain shortly after take-off from then Matsuyama Airfield. Many parts of the shrine, including the Torii ceremonial archway and stone toro lanterns, were damaged in the crash.[28]
On 20 February 1970, Douglas DC-3 B-243 of Far Eastern Air Transport crashed into a mountain shortly after take-off. The aircraft was operating a cargo flight, both crew were killed.[29]
On 7 October 1974, a Vickers Viscount of Far Eastern Air Transport was the subject of an attempted hijacking. The hijacker was overpowered and the aircraft landed at its intended destination of Taipei Songshan Airport.[30]
On 10 October 1997, a Republic of China Air ForceC-130 Hercules1310, c/n 5067, delivered October 1986, same August 1996. The aircraft crashed during an attempted go-around killing all 5 on board.
On 4 February 2015, TransAsia Airways Flight 235, an ATR 72-600 (B-22816), crashed shortly after takeoff from Taipei Songshan Airport, first clipping a taxi and then crashing into Keelung River near Taipei. Of the 53 passengers and 5 crew members, 43 were killed.[34]
China Airlines (CAL) is the national carrier of Taiwan and its largest airline. It is headquartered in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and operates over 1400 flights weekly to 102 cities across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania. Carrying over 19 million passengers and 5700 tons of cargo in 2017, the carrier was the 33rd and 10th largest airline in the world in terms of passenger revenue per kilometer (RPK) and freight RPK, respectively. China Airlines has three airline subsidiaries: China Airlines Cargo, a member of SkyTeam Cargo, operates a fleet of freighter aircraft and manages its parent airline's cargo-hold capacity; Mandarin Airlines operates flights to domestic and low-demand regional destinations; Tigerair Taiwan is a low-cost carrier established by China Airlines and Singaporean airline group Tigerair Holdings, but is now wholly owned by China Airlines Group.
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is an international airport serving Taipei and northern Taiwan. Located about 40 km (25 mi) west of Taipei in Dayuan District, Taoyuan, the airport is Taiwan's largest and busiest airport. It is one of five Taiwanese airports with regular international flights, and is operated by the Taoyuan International Airport Corporation. In 2016, it was ranked the best airport for its size in the Asia-Pacific region by Airports Council International.
Songshan District is a district of Taipei, Taiwan. The name of the district is alternatively spelled Sungshan. The Songshan Airport and the Taipei Arena are located here.
Mandarin Airlines is a Taiwanese regional airline based in Taipei, Taiwan, whose parent company is China Airlines. The airline operates domestic and regional international flights, while its parent company focuses on international operations. Some charter services are also operated by the company. Its main hub is Taipei Songshan Airport with others at Taichung International Airport and Kaohsiung International Airport.
Naha Airport is a second class airport located 4 km (2.5 mi) west of the city hall in Naha, Okinawa. It is Japan's seventh busiest airport and the primary air terminal for passengers and cargo traveling to and from Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, and handles scheduled international traffic to Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and mainland China. The airport is also home to Naha Air Base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
Taipei Main Station is a major transport hub located in Taipei, Taiwan. It is served by Taiwan High Speed Rail, the Taiwan Railways Administration, and the Taipei Metro. It is also connected through underground passageways to the terminal station of Taoyuan Airport MRT and the Taipei Bus Station. In 2017, it was the busiest station on all three rail systems, with a total of 190 million entries and exits.
The Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area also commonly known as Greater Taipei Area is the largest metropolitan area in Taiwan.
Matsu Beigan Airport is one of the airports in Matsu Islands, Lienchiang County, Fukien Province, Taiwan (ROC). It also serves as a heliport and located on Beigan Island. It is served by Uni Air ATR 72-600 (立榮航空) with scheduled flights to Taipei Songshan Airport.
Daily Air Corporation is an airline with its headquarters in Songshan District, Taipei, Taiwan. It operates scheduled passenger services to offshore islands from Taiwan, including Penghu, Green Island and Orchid Island, as well as helicopter contract services and charters. Its main base is Taipei Songshan Airport, with hubs at Kaohsiung International Airport and Taitung Airport.
Tainan Airport is a commercial airport located in South District, Tainan, Taiwan. It is shared with Republic of China Air Force Tainan AFB. In January 2011, the Civil Aeronautics Administration approved the airport to handle international flights.
Penghu Airport, formerly Magong Airport, is an airport in Huxi, Penghu County, Taiwan. With 2,380,265 passengers in 2017, it is the fifth-busiest airport in Taiwan.
The Songshan–Xindian or Green line is a line of the Taipei Metro. Parts of the line runs under the Roosevelt Road, following the route of the former Xindian railway line, which ceased service in 1965 on its southern section.
The Taipei Metro Beimen station is a station on the Songshan Line located in Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan.
The Taipei Metro Songshan Airport station is located in Songshan, Taipei, Taiwan. It is a station on Brown Line and serves as a transportation gateway to Taipei Songshan Airport.
The China Airlines Group(Chinese: 華航集團) is the organizational designation used by a Taiwan-based conglomerate of transportation and associated service companies.
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