By Fang Wei-li and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The primary value of Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) lies in its role in national defense, while its commercial benefits are an additional reason to keep it operating, Institute for National Defense and Security Research Defense Strategy and Resources Division director Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) said yesterday.
His comments came after Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), seeking re-election, on Oct. 9 proposed relocating the airport and redeveloping its site as an artificial intelligence hub featuring technology clusters, housing and public green space.
Songshan is a key takeoff and landing site for responding to crises in or around the capital, Su said, adding that it also serves as an alternative landing site and gives the military greater operational flexibility.
Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) is pictured on Oct. 8.
Photo: Lu Chun-wei, Taipei Times
The airport supports the Fokker 50 executive aircraft used by the president and other senior government officials. Aircraft carrying visiting US lawmakers, including US Senator Tammy Duckworth, have also landed there, he said.
These functions are part of the airport’s broader role in national defense and security, he added.
Su said arguments for relocating the airport based on the infrequent use of its runways by military aircraft overlook its wartime importance.
Military aircraft use Songshan airport less often in peacetime, because it is primarily designated for commercial aviation, he said.
Songshan is about 66km from the air force’s Hsinchu base. At a fighter jet’s cruising speed of about 900km per hour, or 15km a minute, the flight would take about four to five minutes, Su said.
The airport’s strategic value lies not simply in its location between Dazhi (大直) and Songshan (松山) districts, but in its role as a launch point for air operations over the capital and northern Taiwan, he said.
Su said the “Wan Chun Plan,” which was developed to protect the head of state, was only indirectly related to the debate over Songshan. The plan is intended to protect the president and other senior officials, and escort them to secure command centers to preserve the chain of command during wartime. Whether officials travel by aircraft is not central to the plan, he said.
Songshan’s economic contribution should also be considered, Su said, adding that its everyday benefits could be a more persuasive argument against relocation.
Relocating the airport is open to discussion, but airports allowing passengers to reach a capital’s downtown area within 20 minutes of landing can generate substantial economic benefits, he said.
About 5 million people use the airport annually, including about 3 million people on international routes, and it generates more than NT$60 billion (US$1.86 billion) in tourism benefits, Su added.