Kaohsiung Xiaogang Airport expansion plan advances, curfew controversy continues

The Kaohsiung City Government and many Kaohsiung citizens hope to lift the curfew at Xiaogang Airport and even build another international airport that operates around the clock. (Photo by reporter Wu Liangyi)

By the end of next year, Kaohsiung Xiaogang International Airport will add a three-dimensional parking lot on the east side and more parking spaces. The Kaohsiung City Government and citizens still hope to lift the airport curfew and operate it around the clock, but the Civil Aviation Administration of China has given soft advice, saying that surrounding residents hope to maintain the curfew to maintain the quality of life.

There are two and four phases of the terminal project underway at Xiaogang Airport. The first phase will be completed next year. The three-dimensional parking lot on the east side has six levels of parking space, significantly increasing the number of parking spaces. Taxiway A has been moved northward and changed to a parking taxiway, allowing for a longer boarding corridor and more parking spaces.

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Curfew blocks flights and science and technology park cargo

All four phases will be completed in 2040. The A and B corridors will be rebuilt and the C corridor will be built to maximize the number of parking bays to 46 seats. The international line capacity will reach 14.9 million passengers a year, and the domestic line capacity will also reach 1.6 million passengers a year, far exceeding the more than 6 to 7 million passengers last year and this year.

The daily curfew at Xiaogang Airport blocks many flights, such as European and American long-haul routes, low-cost airline red-eye flights, and cargo plane takeoffs and landings. The output value and freight demand of many southern science parks have soared year by year. Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chimai and local representatives have repeatedly called for the cancellation of the curfew. Civil Aviation Director He Shuping said that many major airports in countries also have curfews due to noise and the demand of residents around the airport to improve the quality of life. The same is true for the curfew at Xiaogang Airport.

Civil Aviation Administration: Maintain the quality of life of nearby people

There are also local voices hoping to build a new airport. He Shuping pointed out that whether it is on land or on land reclamation, in addition to technology, there are also sea depth, environmental protection and ICAO regulations. It will take about five to ten years to make a "wind rose chart". The stratigraphic analysis of land reclamation is very complicated. "The most important thing is whether the new airport can be sustainable and resilient." We will continue to evaluate from these aspects.

Lin Guoxian, deputy director of the Ministry of Transport, said that Xiaogang Airport's domestic routes only have outlying islands and Huadong. It needs to transform and adjust the capacity of domestic routes to welcome more international passengers. It will be able to accommodate more international flights after future expansion. In addition, renovation and new construction projects will connect the Kaohsiung MRT Red Line with the terminal passage, making it more convenient for passengers.

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