SPECIAL REPORT: LAND USE
Thinking beyond the perimeter
Dr John Kasarda reports on big plans to transform Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport into an airport city.
W
hen Taiwan’s new Chiang Kai-shek International Airport opened in 1979, its state-of-the-art facilities and modern aerodrome instantly made it one of Asia’s premier hubs.
During the 1980s it established itself as one of the busiest hubs in Asia,
while airport and government officials from across the region visited the ‘showcase facility’ in the hope of learning from its example. But despite being home to two national airlines, China Airlines and Eva
Air, enjoying periodic infrastructure upgrades and even getting a second runway, the airport gradually began to lag behind its Asian competitors. And over the next 15 years Chiang Kai-shek was leapfrogged in
passenger volume and quality rankings by numerous newer, larger, more architecturally glamorous and commercially endowed airports in the region. Capacity constraints also impacted terminal and airside operations. Today, the renamed Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) is
looking to regain its position as one of Asia’s premier gateways and its aerotropolis plans are central to its ambitions. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications has commenced on
a bold initiative to revitalise TPE and regain its regional prominence, while also making the airport a catalyst for Taiwan’s continued commercial competitiveness and economic development. Designated the Taoyuan Aerotropolis project, the plan is based
on expanding and modernising the airport’s aeronautical and commercial infrastructure, along with creating over 4,000 hectares of aviation-integrated business zones around it. The airport city plan was approved in 2009 by Taiwan’s Executive Yuan
(cabinet) and has become the flagship project of the government. In March, it was announced that more than $9 billion would be
allocated to improving the airport’s infrastructure as well as its external transportation links. And more is to be spent by the government and the private sector on
infrastructure, commercial and industrial development in TPE’s outlying aerotropolis zones. Lee Yung-jaan, director-general of the Taoyuan County urban and
rural development department, stated that if the airport could double its current passengers to 40mppa, an additional 80,000 direct and indirect jobs would be created. TPE currently occupies 505 hectares, including a connected 45-hectare
Free Trade Zone (FTZ) operated via a concession with the Farglory Group. Plans call for the airport to be expanded north by 575 hectares and to the
52 AIRPORT WORLD/FEBRUARY-MARCH 2011
east by 170 hectares, the latter adding 130 hectares to the FTZ. This expansion will bring TPE’s total size to just under 2,000 hectares. The extended northern zone will house a future third 4,000m runway,
as well as additional cargo operating areas and overnight parking slots necessary to cater to the demands of the 58 million annual passengers and 4.5 million tonnes of cargo predicted by 2030 (up from 21.6mppa and 1.35 million tonnes of cargo in 2009). To serve the anticipated growth in international passengers, much of
this generated by the increased cross-straits travel between Taiwan and Mainland China, a third terminal will be constructed. Depending on the final decisions regarding the future use of the
original Terminal 1, Terminal 3 will be designed to handle between 30 and 40 million passengers annually. A design competition for this state-of-the-art new terminal is
being contemplated for 2011, with construction targeted to commence by late 2014. A major commercial complex will take shape adjacent to Terminal 3,
which will house business centres, shopping, restaurants, leisure activities and display space. A four or five-star hotel offering the full complement of concierge business and meeting services is also contemplated for the complex. Meanwhile, China Airlines recently opened a gleaming new
corporate heaquarters at TPE’s entrance, complemented with a 360-room Novotel Hotel adjoining it. Two additional modern structures (a centre for crew activities and a flight simulation training centre) complete this new $141 million complex. Taiwan’s government uses the analogy of a fried egg when
explaining how the aerotropolis will evolve and be administered. The expanded airport is likened to the egg yolk. This inner core, to
be managed by a newly established airport company, will consist of aeronautical infrastructure and commercial facilities directly related to the airport, such as terminal-based retail, offices, hotels, air cargo and logistics services. The outer ring (or egg white), which is being planned by Taoyuan County,
will house commerce and industry whose activities depend heavily on the airport. These would include facilities, such as trade and exhibition complexes, time-critical light manufacturing and medical tourism. Looking more closely, Taoyaun’s airport city consists of its
multimodal core and approximately 4,150 surrounding hectares divided into seven functional zones.
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