President sees pivotal role for Songshan Airport in NE Asia
Taipei, May 30 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou said Sunday that Songshan Airport with its unique location and good services can play a key role in Northeast Asia air transportation.

In preparation for the launch of direct flights between Songshan Airport in Taipei and Hongqiao Airport in Shanghai on June 14, President Ma inspected the airport which has been accommodating mainly domestic flights since 1979 when Taoyuan International Airport was completed.

However, Songshan will soon resume international flights. In addition to the new flight route between Songshan and Hongquiao which is scheduled to open in mid June, Taiwanese and Japanese airlines will fly regularly between Songshan and Haneda in Tokyo starting in October, according to Minister of Transportation and Communications Mao Chi-kuo.

Furthermore, negotiations are underway to start direct flights between Songshan Airport and Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, he said.

In his briefing, Mao noted that Songshan Airport is undergoing a three-stage expansion to re-route passenger and cargo flows, improve the functions of terminals, and build an international cargo terminal. The expansion project is scheduled to be completed by September 2011, he added.

Defined as a small international airport in a capital city, Songshan Airport will feature business-class passenger services and priority cargo services, Mao said.

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-pin, who accompanied the president on the inspection tour, suggested that by resuming international flights, Songshan Airport can become an air transportation hub for Northeast Asia.

Since the airport is close to the Neihu technology park and the Nankang software industry park, the new service will help bring high tech firms in Taipei closer to world markets, he said.

Regarding Ma's suggestion that the airport could handle jumbo jets such as Boeing 747s, Mao said the runways do not have the length or load capacity.

With demand far exceeding supply, Taiwanese airlines are vying for the right to fly the new routes from Songshan Airport to destinations in China. In the initial stage, however, only 14 regular round-trip flights per week between the Songshan and Hongqiao airports will be scheduled, according to the Civil Aviation Administration.

Currently there are 370 regular cross-strait flights per week, which is far short of the weekly demand for around 500 flights.

During the inspection tour, President Ma told reporters that he was aware of the supply problem. However, it cannot be easily resolved, in view of the fact that the Taiwan Strait is already crowded with more than a dozen international air routes and numerous domestic flights and there are military drill security considerations, he said. (by Wang Su-feng and Lillian Lin) Enditem /pc

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