TAICHUNG – The central Taiwanese city of Taichung has broken ground on its NT$990 million (US$32.46 million) renovation project for its airport.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark the occasion, President Tsai Ing-wen said that Taichung has risen to become a major gateway into Taiwan with the introduction of direct routes from cities in Cambodia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam in recent years.
She added that the project “will spur local tourism by ensuring visitors arrive at a world-class transport hub”.
The airport has seen a steady rise in passenger traffic in recent years, notching a record high of 2.64 million visitors in 2018, up 10% year on year according to figures by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC).
The project, when completed by the end of 2022, will raise passenger capacity to 3.69 million passengers annually.
The airport will also be embarking on a further NT$75.6 billion expansion project that will improve airport access and see an additional runway and terminal built, with the aim to increase the hub’s annual passenger capacity to 10 million by 2040.
The city, an important manufacturing hub, is known for its vibrant arts and culture attractions and scenic nature getaways such as Sun Moon Lake.