Taiwan is an island, which means there are only two ways to reach the country: either by sea or, of course, by flying. While the country is relatively small in size, it boasts an astonishing number of airports: 17 civil airports, four of which serve international destinations, in addition to several military airports.
Taiwan’s four international airports are Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Songshan Airport, Kaohsiung International Airport, and Taichung International Airport.
Taoyuan International Airport – TPE (桃園國際機場)
Taoyuan is a large county situated right next to Taipei and is home to the country’s largest airport. This airport is the only one directly managed by the Ministry of Transportation; all other airports are under the management of the Civil Aeronautics Administration.
While relatively small by international standards, the airport serves as the main gateway to the country, connecting to over a hundred international destinations in Asia, the Middle East, North America, and Europe. The airport has two terminals, and a third one currently under construction and expected to open in 2026. It is also the main hub of the majority of Taiwanese Airlines.
Depending on your means of transportation (taxi, bus, metro), it takes around 30 to 45 minutes to reach Taipei City center.
Until 2006, the airport used to be called Chiang Kai-shek International Airport (中正國際機場), named after the country’s former dictator. With the transition to democracy, many places that used to bear his name were renamed, and the airport was one of them.
| Runway | Number of passengers (2018) |
|---|---|
| 3,660 m & 3,800 m | 46.5 million |
Taipei Songshan Airport – TSA (臺北松山機場)
Taipei Songshan Airport is the second most important airport in the country and the third-largest by passenger volume. It is situated right in the heart of Taipei City.
The noise pollution and the space that the airport occupies in the capital city have been subjects of vibrant debates over the years, with many politicians calling for the closure of the airport. Plans to relocate Taipei Songshan Airport’s traffic to Taoyuan Airport have been proposed; however, the size of Taoyuan Airport is already limited and can barely handle its current number of passengers. It would currently be unable to accommodate the additional 6 million annual passengers from Taipei Airport.
Furthermore, flying to or from Taipei Songshan Airport offers one of the most unbelievable views of the city and serves as a nice spot for watching planes taking off and landing. Additionally, it is where most political delegations arrive in Taiwan due to the airport’s proximity to the political center of the country.
| Runway | Number of passengers (2018) |
|---|---|
| 2,605 m | 6.2 million |
Kaohsiung International Airport – KHH (高雄國際機場)
Kaohsiung International Airport is the second-largest airport in Taiwan by passenger volume.
The airport exclusively serves destinations in Asia, including China, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, among others, along with domestic destinations.
| Runway | Number of passengers (2019) |
|---|---|
| 3,150 m | 7.4 million |
Taichung International Airport – RMQ (臺中國際機場)
Taichung International Airport is the fourth-largest airport in Taiwan by passenger volume. The airport serves a limited number of destinations in Asia, primarily focusing on China, Vietnam, and Korea, in addition to domestic destinations.
The airport is located quite far from Taichung City, with very few means of public transportation available, making flying from Taichung not particularly convenient.
Taichung Airport is a Military-Controlled Airport with Civilian Use, meaning its primary purpose is for military activities, but it also allocates areas for civilian aviation.
| Runway | Number of passengers (2019) |
|---|---|
| 3,659 m | 2.6 million |
List of Taiwan’s Domestic Airports
Taiwan’s remaining airports are domestic, meaning they exclusively serve destinations within Taiwan (except for cargo transportation). As the Republic of China controls several outlying islands, a lot of these domestic airports are situated outside of Taiwan Island.
On Taiwan Island:
- Taitung Airport – TTT
- Tainan Airport – TNN
- Chiayi Airport – CYI
- Hualien Airport – HUN
- Hengchun Airport – HCN
On Outlying Islands:
- Penghu Airport – MZG
- Kinmen Airport – KNH
- Matsu Nangan Airport – LZN
- Matsu Beigan Airport – MFK
- Lanyu Airport – KYD
- Ludao Airport – GNI
- Qimei Airport – CMJ
- Wang-an Airport – WOT
All Taiwanese airports not mentioned on this list are designated for military use only.
Classifications of Airports in Taiwan
Airports in Taiwan are classified into various levels:
- Special-Class Airports (特等航空站) with an annual passenger flow of over 10 million (currently, only Taoyuan International Airport meets this standard).
- Class A Airport (甲等航空站) with an annual passenger flow from 4 to 10 million.
- Class B Airport (乙等航空站) with an annual passenger flow from 1.5 to 4 million.
- Class C Airport (丙等航空站) with an annual passenger flow from 750,000 to 1.5 million.
- Class D Airport (丁等航空站) with an annual passenger flow below 750,000.
Moreover, due to the limited availability of land in Taiwan, many civilian airports are combined with military activities. There are two kinds of such airports:
- Civilian-Controlled Military Defense Airports, managed by civil aviation units, but with some space used by the military. This is the case for Taipei Songshan Airport for example.
- Military-Controlled Airports with Civilian Use, managed by the military but with some space used for civil aviation. As mentioned above, Taichung International Airport falls into this category.
Taiwan, as an island nation, heavily relies on air travel and boasts a diverse array of airports. With four international airports serving more than 60 million passengers every year, Taiwan has everything it needs to be a convenient travel destination.
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