Interviewee: Zhaoyu Chen

Time: 2011.10.19 13:30

Place: Taipei SongShan Airport

I have been the deputy director of TSA for two and half years. I am responsible for the management and operation of the airport. The airport was built in 1950, and we just celebrated its 60th anniversary and also its rebirth due to the internationalization.

It was an international airport in the beginning, and became a domestic one in 1979. The airport is still used by both military and the common people. There was a period of time that the transportation in Taiwan was fully developed. The cost of the air ticket from Taipei to Kaohsiung was almost equal to the cost of bus. There were 15 million people flying per year (from 1996~1997). However, it declined desperately after the second high way and the Taiwan high speed rail started using. But now, it is reborn because of cross-strait direct charter fights and the internationalization.

Compared to the original one, the airport now has two terminals. The planes fly mainly to the off-shore islands, and mainland China. There are both advantages and weakness for the airport located in the downtown of the city. It is convenient for the business people headed to mainland China. It is time-saving and money saving. However, the limitation is that it cannot be expanded and there is noise problem and building height limitation.

In order to make the airport a better place, we make progression in both hardware and software facilities. Because the building of the airport itself is a historical building, it can’t be changed too much from outside. Therefore, we focus on the interior decoration. To create an image of Taipei for the passengers, we decorate the hall with calla lily from Yang Ming Mountain. And there is also a library which passengers can borrow the books when leaving and return it when coming back. There will be also a scenery platform for sight visiting in the future.

The goal of Taipei SongShan Airport is it to be a small but efficient business airport. The life of meeting in Seoul (Korea) in the morning and flying back home in the evening is no longer a dream in the future. We also wish there will be planes fly directly to Tokyo, Shanghai and also Korea next year.