It really pisses me off that this airport was not closed long ago and the space used for housing. It covers a vast area (182 hectares) or about 100 city blocks. It could supply badly needed residential land for Taipei City for decades.
It will never be closed because the rich landlords (who sit on their fat asses counting rent money and watching their investments grow) would be bankrupted if Taipei housing prices ever returned to affordable levels. No surprise that this includes just about every KMT politician and their banking buddies.
Seriously, this airport has no right to live. What purpose does it serve except to allow the same rich people to conveniently access their sweatshops in mainland China? There’s lots of space around Taoyuan airport (think taro plantations and tinshack factories making plastic forks) that could be redeveloped as a domestic airport and the existence of the THSR and new MRT extension make the idea even more sensible. You have aircraft maintenance and supply operations, cargo operators and everyone else in the aviation business there.
And how stupid is it to have a Flower Expo with jet engines screaming 200 meters overhead?
Frank Hsieh with the DPP ran for mayor and said he would close it to make a park, it didn’t happen and now it’s being promoted as a cross-strait regional airport. The oark would have been a nice addition to the city.
As a matter of fact many landowners wanted the airport closed down so they could build higher. There are not as many complaints now as the values went up anyway due to the expected demand for Chinese companies regional offices setting up near the airport.
All due respect, monkey but it seems pretty much par for the course, you know what I’m saying? See Flora Expo thread for more kvetching about that.
As you know, the city is just brimming with flower-engorged tourists and I’m sure that most of them are flying in and out of Wrongshan.
Meanwhile, Wrongshan could be a major plus for some folks (like me), if – and only if – it became a viable alternative to Taoyuan, meaning, it could handle flights to other international destinations, which, according to what I’m told, is the only reason they’ve kept it limping along. However, I can’t think of one international city that has 747s criss-crossing the downtown area at low altitudes. Sounds like a major fucking disaster waiting to happen. As for Taoyuan, well, it’s semi-convenient at this point, and certainly not egregiously out of the way. Forty minutes from the air hub to downtown is pretty much a world-wide standard.
Now, let’s say the city decides to shut Wrongshan down. Can you even begin to imagine the resulting clusterfuck of interests that will be vying for that very expensive piece of land?
Another park? There’s already lots of parks in that area (or there were until the Flora Expo bulldozers rolled in). I don’t understand how the KMT can justify kissing mainland chinese corporate ass while quality, affordable housing in Taipei remains out of the reach of the average family. Seems like such a no-brainer, but I guess the KMT doesn’t need the votes.
There is so much to say and so many issues involved here its mind numbing. Just to say a few things here.
Songshan being closed is a better possibility when the MRT goes to the Taoyuan airport.
Tokyo and Seoul and Shanghai and other major cities did NOT close their in city airports either. Hongkong is an exception not a rule.
An inner city airport once closed will FOREVER be closed and there will NEVER be another inner city airport.
There are many many many people that want Songshan closed because then all the land around the airport can be redeveloped with buildings that no longer have their current height restriction due to the airport being there. Both KMT and DPP legislators would LOVE to cash in on this rebuild.
Taiwan apt and land prices for the next few decades may not really head south because the TW govt will open up apt and land holding to Chinese from China to keep prices propped up. The TW govt does NOT really want land and apt prices to head south.
Taiwan’s birthrate falling will stimulate laws allowing more CHINESE from CHINA to settle in Taiwan. The TW govt is still racist towards other races and will still give preference to CHINESE from China as well as perhaps CHINESE from South East Asia ,etc over Malays, PHillippinos or Thai. Only way non Chinese will be allowed to live on Taiwan is through marriage.
Actually the land the airport presently occupies could be turned into a giant Central Park type of park and theres still plenty of money to be made by speculators (much including DPP and KMT lawmakers) by redeveloping the surrounding land, that will now be set free from height limits.
tommy likes the Sungshan airport and will therefore decree it is not to be torn down anytime soon
Actually the KMT IS A CHINESE POLITICAL PARTY. It was formed in China. It is NOT a Taiwanese political party , although it is currently domiciled in Taiwan.
I like it; it’s much more convenient for domestic air travel as well as other places like Tokyo. I hate having to go all the way out to Taoyuan every time I want to fly somewhere, and until the airport MRT is running, I like having a nearby airport.
As far as all the political stuff goes, KMT is evil Chinese party that eats children yada yada, yeah, it’s all been said before in other threads.
I like it, too. It’s been years since I’ve flown from there and it was only to Chiayi. I haven’t flown from there to China yet, though I hope to some day. But I like it because it’s helping support the value of my house, since the airport is very conveniently located just 10 blocks away. If they remove it we lose that convenience and if they build housing there instead that may further deflate our property value. So, hands off please.
Yeah, I like Songshan. CKS Airport is at capacity as a international airport, and demand for international travel is growing. Songshan relieves the pressure.
Plus Songshan is close and convenient. No need to go so far out of town. In fact, it’s easy walking distance from my apartment.
If only they offered cheap flights to Thailand from Songshan…
What Chris said, Taoyuan is actually near its max capacity. And Sungshan is needed. Tokyo is reinventing Haneda into an international airport again. Wont be long until Kimpo (Seoul) regains its glory too. Shanghai will still keep its Hongqiao as well. Subang in Kuala Lumpur is not closed.
Fact is an airport is an asset and to close one is a huge decision ,not to be taken lightly.
Sungshan nearly went under because of the HSR. But its being reinvented for intra Asia flights and also they plan to develop a biz jet center there.
ON that note, what happened to TAichung’s inner city airport Shuinan?? Is it there still? They could make that into a bizjet center as well. Tainan and Ktown airports could become bizjet airports too. And the practically deserted airport in Hengchun could become a bizjet maintenance and training airport !
Edit to add original point … Taoyuan airport is dead for half the day. How can it be near capacity?
Tommy, i reckon only 1 person in 100 in Taipei would ever use Songshan airport. It’s a golden goose laying eggs for a privileged few. That land is needed for affordable housing so everyone can benefit. Why should tens of thousands of people have to commute from Taoyuan, Keelung or wherever to Taipei city every day, when you can just move the airport? Imagine how much congestion that would relieve from freeways, as well as the pollution that would be cut.
Taipei’s housing prices will correct sooner or later anyway, so there’s no reason to restrict the land available for development just to keep the rich happy.
Actually, New Taipei City is rapidly running out of affordable housing. You want something , move NOW to Taoyuan… the tide is already rising there.
Don’t think the bubble will explode, as it is not ruled by natural supply/demand. Too many interests at play. And Taipei will keep on being an island within an island…
I live next to Songshan Airport. I imagine the lowest stress job on this planet is probably their air traffic controller! Planes only land and take off every 20 minutes or so! As for it’s use? Tokyo, Shanghai now… Seoul, Beijing, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Sydney…This airport is limited by it’s terminal space, not it’s runway.
People are wrong to think that this airport is only used by a privileged few. It is more of an Import airport than an export airport. What I mean by that is the majority of the people are Chinese tourists vacationing in Taipei. If you don’t believe me, head to the airport Duty Free shop (annexed from the airport and located near the corner of MinQuan East Road and FuXing North Road.) All the tourist buses stop in there before dropping their load back off at the airport!
Personally, I can’t wait to take a trip to Tokyo later this year. Downtown airport to downtown airport! can’t beat that!
