Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Taoyuan International Airport saw a drop from 752 flights in January to 166 in March. To take advantage of the lull in passengers, the airport pushed ahead a number of construction projects in March and April. The airport hopes to complete a significant number of items before the pandemic is over to further boost the quality of its facilities and services.
Projects that have commenced in advance include the renovation of check-in counter number 10/11 at Terminal 2’s departure hall as well as check in areas 6/7 and 20/21. Upgrades to the flooring and information desk at Terminal 2’s arrival hall are also underway, while improvements to the restrooms in both terminals’ baggage claim areas are being carried out several months ahead of schedule.
The observation decks at Terminal 2, which just opened to the public last year, were in need of better air circulation due to their immense popularity with visitors. Vestibules are currently being built in both decks.
Just as much is being done on the airside. The original plan was to close aprons A1, A2 and A3, but after weighing the situation, B5 and B6 have also been shut down to install upgrades to the jet bridges, waiting lounges and restrooms. Construction on taxiways NP, Q and EC began early as well.
New upgrade items involving areas that normally see heavy foot traffic are also in progress, including the ceilings and floors of public areas, air conditioning in both terminals as well as certain escalators and elevators.
Finally, the airport had originally planned to repair the north runway in increments while keeping it operational, but it has now closed the entire runway for more comprehensive and larger-scale repairs that include the connecting taxiways.
The Taoyuan International Airport Corporation hopes that it can greatly enhance its facilities and services during this time so it can offer an even better experience when traffic picks up again. (Advertorial)
A decision to describe a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on Singapore’s Taiwan policy as “erroneous” was made because the city-state has its own “one China policy” and has not followed Beijing’s “one China principle,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) said yesterday. It has been a longstanding practice for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to speak on other countries’ behalf concerning Taiwan, Tien said. The latest example was a statement issued by the PRC after a meeting between Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on the sidelines of the APEC summit
Taiwan’s passport ranked 34th in the world, with access to 141 visa-free destinations, according to the latest update to the Henley Passport Index released today. The index put together by Henley & Partners ranks 199 passports globally based on the number of destinations holders can access without a visa out of 227, and is updated monthly. The 141 visa-free destinations for Taiwanese passport holders are a slight decrease from last year, when holders had access to 145 destinations. Botswana and Columbia are among the countries that have recently ended visa-free status for Taiwanese after “bowing to pressure from the Chinese government,” the Ministry
HEALTHCARE: Following a 2022 Constitutional Court ruling, Taiwanese traveling overseas for six months would no longer be able to suspend their insurance Measures allowing people to suspend National Health Insurance (NHI) services if they plan to leave the country for six months would be abolished starting Dec. 23, NHIA Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday. The decision followed the Constitutional Court’s ruling in 2022 that the regulation was unconstitutional and that it would invalidate the regulation automatically unless the NHIA amended it to conform with the Constitution. The agency would amend the regulations to remove the articles and sections that allow the suspension of NHI services, and also introduce provisional clauses for those who suspended their NHI services before Dec. 23, Shih said. According to
Minister of Labor Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) yesterday apologized after the suicide of a civil servant earlier this month and announced that a supervisor accused of workplace bullying would be demoted. On Nov. 4, a 39-year-old information analyst at the Workforce Development Agency’s (WDA) northern branch, which covers greater Taipei and Keelung, as well as Yilan, Lienchiang and Kinmen counties, was found dead in their office. WDA northern branch director Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容), who has been accused of involvement in workplace bullying, would be demoted to a nonsupervisory position, Ho told a news conference in Taipei. WDA Director-General Tsai Meng-liang (蔡孟良) said he would