People planning to travel abroad around the New Year next week should check in three hours before departure at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to avoid crowds, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said yesterday.
The nation’s largest international airport has entered one of its peak periods, from Christmas to the week following New Year’s Day.
Based on the flight schedule for the period, the number of people passing through the airport could exceed 135,000 per day on Sunday and Monday, as well as on Jan. 5, the company said.
Photo courtesy of Taoyuan International Airport Corp
The peak times for departure are 7am to 9am, 2pm to 3pm and 11pm to midnight, while the peak arrival times are 5am, 1pm to 5pm and 8pm to 10pm, it said.
“We are reminding travelers that they can start checking in three hours before their flights depart, and make sure they do not have prohibited items in their carry-on and checked luggage,” it said.
“They can access the airport using public transport and use smart services offered at the airport,” the company added.
Photo courtesy of Taoyuan International Airport Corp
PASSPORTS
Travelers also need to ascertain that their passports are valid for more than six months and are encouraged to check in online before arriving at the airport, the company said, adding that they can also access in-town check-in services at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line’s Taipei Railway Station (A1) and New Taipei Industrial Park Station (A3).
Travelers can use self-help machines at the airport to complete check-in procedures faster, it added.
In addition, passengers must put mobile power packs, lighters and e-cigarettes in carry-on luggage, the company said, adding that such items cannot contain more than 100ml of liquid.
Before undergoing security inspections, passengers must empty water bottles, take laptops out of their carry-on luggage, and remove jackets, hats and belts, TIAC said.
To prevent domestic outbreaks of African swine fever, air travelers are prohibited from bringing meat products to Taiwan from abroad, and must comply with inspections of animal and plant quarantine officers if they return from areas where the disease has been reported, the company said, adding that those who fail to do so would be subject to penalties.
Those returning from areas that have not been reported as affected by African swine fever should follow instructions from airline ground staff to facilitate their arrival, it said.
Air travelers with up to 200 cigarettes and up to 1 liter of alcohol need not declare them at customs, the company said.
Starting on Wednesday, people with Taiwanese passports aged 10 or older can access the fourth-generation e-Gate immigration system, the company said, adding that the system limits use to travelers who are between 1.2m and 2m tall.
The registration for the e-Gate system is permanent, even with a renewed passport, it said.
Travelers from other countries or regions aged 14 or older can use the e-Gate system when leaving the country if they hold biometric passports and their biological features were recorded in the system upon entry, the company said.
To facilitate entry of international travelers, the National Immigration Agency is to introduce a new version of the online arrival card, which can be filled out 72 hours before arrival, TIAC said.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
The airport company also encouraged people to use public buses or the MRT to travel to and from the airport.
“We will coordinate with public transport operators to adjust their services based on the crowd situation. Passengers who drive themselves to pick up relatives or friends can download the company’s app or use the Taoyuan airport’s Web site to get real-time information on traffic and parking,” it said.
Taoyuan International Airport special report
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as