Lawmakers call for more international flights for Kaohsiung

Lawmakers call for more international flights for Kaohsiung

2024-03-27

Lawmakers from Kaohsiung want more international flight options for their city. At a Wednesday press conference, two lawmakers asked the government to start by increasing aviation routes from Kaohsiung to Japan. They said that Kaohsiung offers far fewer flights to Japan compared to Taoyuan International Airport. In response, the Civil Aviation Administration says it’s already in talks with Japanese authorities on expanding air links with the southern port city.

Introducing delicacies from Kaohsiung’s Gangshan District, the lawmaker says they’d be a hit with potential Japanese tourists. At a press conference on Wednesday, DPP lawmakers Chiu Chih-wei and Hsu Chih-chieh highlighted the south’s growing demand for flights to Japan. They urged the government and airlines to add air routes linking Kaohsiung with Japan.

Hsu Chih-chieh
DPP lawmaker
With more flights connecting the two places, there can be an exchange of local specialties. Japanese ramen is very famous. Match the ramen with our broad bean sauce, and you’d get a completely unique flavor. The Japanese would definitely find Gangshan’s broad bean sauce very tasty.

Chiu Chih-wei
DPP lawmaker
People want in-depth travel experiences, so there’s interest in every prefecture and city in Japan. The Taiwanese want to visit every corner of Japan, for example Okayama, which is a lesser known city with lots of character and many scenic areas in its vicinity. It would certainly have a strong appeal to Taiwanese travelers.

According to government data, Taoyuan International Airport offers direct flights to 24 Japanese destinations every week. In contrast, Kaohsiung International Airport offers only six, a fourfold difference. Every week, 551 flights take off from Taoyuan International Airport, and just 79 flights depart from Kaohsiung International Airport, a difference of seven times. Lawmakers are calling for an increase in destinations and flights for Kaohsiung. The Civil Aviation Administration says it’s discussing the possibility with Japanese authorities.

Hiseh Jin-mei
Civil Aviation Administration
If the Okayama route is established, aviation will be able to return to pre-pandemic levels. But there are still issues regarding the entry and exit of passengers in Japan that need to be overcome. We hope to launch this route as soon as possible, in the middle, or in the second half of the year.

Bernard Hsu
Tigerair Taiwan
Last night, the relevant people in Okayama said they would let us know as early as May or June whether the route is feasible, if the recruitment of customs staff goes smoothly. If we get good news in May or June, we’ll be able to announce it in July.

With air travel yet to bounce back from the pandemic, the government and airlines are working together to achieve a full recovery.

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